THREE IN A BED. "That's a sensible cat," said cook. Mas-
G AY little velvet coats, ter Harry has nearly pulled her kittens to,
One, two, three; pieces."
Any home happier Silver-grey carried her family up a broad
Could there benn ladder to a hay-loft, and hid them in a nice
TAndsleyep Nedy bed of hay in the farthest corner, where she
Purring so cosily, believed Harry could never find them.
Three in a bed. Harry was greatly provoked with pussy's
Woe to the stupid mouse, bold step. Twenty times each day he asked
Prowling about! everybody, "Where are my kittens ?" You
Old Mother Pussy see, he did not allow poor Silver-grey any
Is on the lookout, share in her own kittens. He so teased,
Little cats, big cats; coaxed and pleaded with cook, she gave way
In the sky parlor, at last, and promised to let him see his old
Three in a bed. pets now and again.
Mother's a gypsy puss- So Harry stood at the bottom of the lad-
Often she moves, der in the hard paved court-yard, while the
Thinking much travel little pussies were brought down on view
Her children improves, by cook. But he wasn't satisfied; he wanted
High weindedfaly, to see them in their nest in the loft; and
No falling out, you see I after many objections, cook, who was very
Three in a bed. good-natured and foolish to grant his wish,
without his mamma's or nurse's knowledge,
UP A LADDER AD D N A N carried him up to the loft, or rather let him
climb up before her, step by step.
ILVER-GREY, Harry's beautiful tabby The loft was a delightful new place.
cat, had two snow-white kittens not a Harry scrambled among the hay and played
week old, and their eyes were still closed, with his kittens to his heart's content.
Pussy lay in a basket by the cosy kitchen Their eyes were open now, and they had
fire, and purred and winked all day over such dear little innocent faces. He hugged
her tiny family for the first day or two; and kissed them, and was very happy.
and Harry was constantly stealing away Now, dear, we must go; and I have to
from the nursery to play with these new take care of you going down much more
live toys, to fondle them and see if their than coming up," said cook, after some
eyes were open yet. They were such nice time; and she took him in her arms to carry
warm, soft pets. But poor Silver-grey him down.
suffered very much in her mind from the Now, mamma never was told, that for
distressing screams of her unfortunate kit- several days Harry had been up and down
tens, for Harry did not think that it made the ladder to see the kittens with cook, or
any difference to hold a kitten up by its lit- she would have been very angry at so dan-
tie short tail, or that it could hurt as much gerous an adventure, and cook had great
as hanging him by his curls would, or that reason to regret her foolish conduct after.
tucking the tiny pussy's head under his Harry at last grew so accustomed to the
arm very tight and "trying' to make it see ladder, that one day he ran out of the loft
sooner" by pulling at its closed eyelids before cook, and was several steps down
would not add to the poor blind little kit-. before she even reached the doorway. You
tie's happiness. may imagine her terror at his danger. But
So one day, when Harry had gone away, it was worse for his mamma, who just hap-
after tormenting poor Silver-grey dread- opened to be passing in a corridor upstairs,
fully, making her jump in and out of her and from a window there saw, to her dis-
nest, and stand up on her hind feet to reach tress, little- three-year-old Harry rapidly
her crying kitten in Harry's teasing hands- scrambling down alone, while cook was evi-
begging for it she seized Huz, the eldest dently too frightened to reach and keep him
kitten, by the back of its soft furry neck safe; and the next moment Harry lost his
and ran away with it out of the house alto- balance, or missed his footing, and fell from
gether, and after a few minutes she came the ladder, a dreadful fall of ten feet, down
back and fetched away Buz, his brother, on the hard, rough, sharp stone pavement,

OUR BABIES. 9

where his poor little head struck on a great What doth the poor man's son inherit?
round stone. Wishes o'erjoyed with humble things,
His mamma flew into the yard, and A rank adjudged by toil-won merit,
His mamma flew into the yard, and Content that from employment springs,
reached his side almost as soon as cook A heart that in his labor sings;
got down the ladder. So it was Harry's A heritage, it seems to me,
mamma first snatched him up from the A king might wish to hold in fee.
stones, where he was lying quite still.
When she looked at his face she was dread- What doth the poor man's son inherit?
A patience learned of being poor,
fully frightened. Quick as thought she re- Courage, if sorrow come, to bear it,
membered what she heard once should be A fellow-feeling that is sure
done. She ran with him across the yard to To make the outcast bless his door;
the pump, and calling to the terrified cook A heritage, it seems to me,
to follow and work the handle gently, she A king might wish to hold in fee.
held Harry's head low under the spout, O rich man's son! there is a toil
and let the water pour from the height in a That with all others level stands;
strong stream on it, and in a few seconds Large charity doth never soil,
she thankfully saw her dear little boy's But only whiten, soft white hands-
eyes come open all right. He looked up and This is the best crop from thy lands;
A heritage it seems to be,
said, Oh, mamma, my head is so tired." Worth being rich to hold in fee.
When the doctor came, he said Harry
must be kept very quiet and in a dark room, O poor man's son! scorn not thy state;
but that the prompt use of the cold-water There is worse weariness than thine,
cure had saved him a great deal of suffering. In merely being rich and great;
Toil only gives the soul to shine,
Cook was so sorry, and after her day's work And makes rest fragrant and benign
she insisted on sitting by Harry all night A heritage, it seems to me,
and nursing him with every attention. Worth being poor to hold in fee.
But it did him no more harm. He is a
fine strong boy over ten now, and does not Both, heirs to some six feet of sod,
care the least about kittens nor cats.-Mrs. Are equal in the earth at last;
Both, children of the same dear God,
fM Tier. Prove title to your heirship vast
THE HERITAGE. By record of a well-filled past;
A heritage, it seems to me,
T HE rich man's son inherits lands, Well worth a life to hold in fee.
And piles of brick, and stone, and gold,
And he inherits soft white hands,
And tender flesh that fears the cold, HONEST MEN.
Nor dares to wear a garment old;
A heritage, it seems to me, T is possible that the scrupulously hon-
One scarce would wish to hold in fee. est man may not grow rich so fast as
est man may not grow rich so fast as
The rich man's son inherits cares; the unscrupulous and dishonest one ; but
The bank may break, the factory burn, the success will be of a truer kind, earned
A breath may burst his bubble shares, without fraud or injustice. And even though
And soft white hands could hardly earn
A living that would serve his turn; a man should for a time be unsuccessful,
A heritage, it seems to me, still he must be honest ; better lose all and
One scarce would wish to hold in fee. save character. For character is itself a
Sr m s i fortune; and if the high-principled man will
The rh oman's son inherit dantare; but hold on his way courageously, success
With sated heart he hears the pants will surely come, nor will the highest re-
Of toiling hinds with brown arms bare, ward of all be withheld froth him. Words-
And wearies in his easy chair; worth well describes the Happy Warrior,"
A heritage, it seems to me, as he
One scarce would wish to hold in fee.
Who comprehends his trust, and to the same
What doth the poor man's son inherit? Keeps faithful with a singleness of aim;
Stout muscles and a sinewy heart, And therefore does not stoop, nor lie in wait
A hardy frame, a hardier spirit; For wealth, or honor, or for worldly state ;
King of two hands he does his part Whom they must follow, on whose head must fall,
In every useful toil and art; Like showers of manna, if they come at all."
A heritage, it seems to me,
A king might wish to hold in fee. -Samuel Smiles.

10 OUR BABIES.

BLACK JIM.
H AVE you seen Black Jim ? He does not enter
Have you seen his face? When the clock strikes nine.
He's a dreadful rogue- Up at the window
He's a hardened case. He'll come by and by,
He pulls up the corn With a queer, sly wink
Which the boys sow; At Tom, who sits nigh.
And he walks clear through And now, boys all,
E'en the longest row. Let me whisper low-
Black Jim goes to school So the rogue won't hear--
When the day is fine; Black Jim is a crow.

OUR BABIES. 11

I W,
If

...

MAX IN STATE.

M AX was a fine, faithful dog, but his proper place was in the yard, and not in the house. Sometimes he
steals into the house, and in this case he sits with great dignity in his master's chair. Charlie, the
spaniel,and house-pet, is much annoyed at Max's impudence. But Max says he has heard master say very
'often that "possession is nine parts of the law."
MAX IN STATE.

THE TWO ANGELS. hour; although in his younger days he was
G OD called the nearest angels who dwell with him four or five times as long in traveling over
above: the same ground! But people get so used to
The tenderest one was Pity, the dearest one was the present mode of conveyance that its
Love. rapidity makes no impression upon them.
" Arise," he said, "my angels! a wail of woe and sin And in the same way people become so
Steals through the gates of heaven, and saddens all accustomed to the speed with which time
within. flies along, that they seldom think much
" My harps take up the mournful strain that from a about it. Yet how fast our days and years
lost world swells; pass away! Our life is like a journey upon
The smoke of torment clouds the light and blights the railroad; it will soon be over. We have
the asphodels. just completed another twelvemonth of our
" Fly downward to that under world, and on its souls brief existence here, and have entered upon
of pain a new period of time.
Let Love drop smiles of sunshine, and Pity tears
like rain." "Another station on Time's gliding railway
Life's train hath passed;
Two faces bowed before the throne, veiled in their And now Anticipation's eager glances
golden hair; Onward are cast."
Four white wings hastened swiftly down the dark
abyss of air. Yes, it is natural to look forward What
S, fresh scenes are we likely to see? What
he strange, the fight was long; at l dangers shall we encounter ? What advent-
Where swung the lost and nether world, red- ures shall we meet with? Ah, we cannot
wrapped in rayless flame, tell. God only knows; but He is ever near
There Pity, shuddering, wept; but Love, with faith us, and, if we trust in Him, He will take
too strong for fear, care of us, so we need not fear.
Took heart from God's almightiness and smiled a It is, however, most likely that we shall
smile of cheer, have some sorrow to bear in the coming
And lo! that tear of Pity quenched the flame year; we must not expect that all our jour-
whereon it fell, ney will be bright and sunshiny. The rail-
And, with the sunshine of that smile hope entered way has its dark tunnels. And the young
into hell! Christian has his seasons of trial and temp-,
Two unveiled faces full of joy looked upward to the station. But as the bright gleam of the lamp
Throne, every now and then, illumines the dreary
Four white wings folded at the feet of Him who sat tunnel, so does many a sweet promise con-
thereon! sole and animate his mind.
And deeper than the sound of seas, more soft than And then, however painful and long-con-
falling flake, tinued his afflictions may be, they will
Amidst the hush of wing and song the Voice Eternal certainly come to a close. The railroad
spake: does not always lie through tunnels.
Welcome, my angels! ye have brought a holier joy Weeping may endure for a night, but joy
to heaven; cometh in the morning."
Henceforth its sweetest song shall be the song of Besides, the journey will soon be ended;
sin forgiven!" -John G. Wittier. and then he will be foreyer beyond the
THE RAILWAY OF LIFE. reach of sorrow. With so bright a prospect
as this in view, he feels that his affliction is
T HERE goes the steam engine, puffing not only light, but that it is but for a mo-
along! What a noise it makes! and ment.
how fast it runs! It is called the "Rapid,"
and that is a very good name for it, for it BOOKS.
glides over the railway lines at such a rate T HOU mayst as well expect to grow
that you might almost fancy that it was in stronger by always eating, as wiser
a hurry to get to the end. Well, the passen- by always reading. Too much overcharges
gers, at all events, are most of them in a nature, and turns more into disease than
hurry; and an impatient old tradesman, in nourishment. 'Tis thought and digestion
a corner of one of the carriages, is grum- which make books serviceable, and give
bling because he thinks they will not reach health and vigor to the mind.- Thomas
the terminus until five minutes past the usual Fuller.

OUR BABIES. 13

FOUR MOTTOES. very cheap for that fish. If I tell the Dea-
STLOOK up and not down;"-do you mind how con it cost fifteen, he'll be satisfied, and I
S the tree-top shall have five cents to invest in fire crack-
Rejoices in sunshine denied to its root? ers."
And hear how the lark, gazing skyward, is flooding The Deacon was pleased with Joe's bar-
All earth with its song, while the ground-bird is he Deacon was pleased ith Joe ar-
mute. gain, and when the market was closed, each
went his way for the night. But the nickel
"Look out and not in! "-see the sap rushing out- in Joe's pocket burned like a coal; he could
In leaf, bud and blossom: all winter it lay eat no supper, and was cross and unhappy.
Imprisoned, while earth wore a white desolation; At last he could stand it no longer, but
Now Nature is glad with the beauty of May. walking rapidly, tapped at the door of Dea-
" Look forward, not back! "-'Tis the chant of crea- con Jones' cottage.
tion, A stand was drawn out, and before the
The chime of the seasons as onward they roll; open Bible sat the old man. Joe's heart
'Tis the pulse of the world, 'tis the hope of the almost failed him, but he told his story, and
ages- with tears of sorrow laid the coin in the
This voice of the Lord in the depths of the soul! with tears of sorrow laid the coi in the
Deacon's hand. Turning over the leaves
' Lend a hand! "-like the sun, that turns night into of the Bible, the old man read, "' He that
morning, covereth his sins shall not prosper; but
The moon, that guides stor-drven sailors to whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall
Ah, life were worth living with this for its watch- have mercy.' You have my forgiveness,
word- Joe; now go home and confess to the Lord,
"Look up, out and forward, and each lend a hand!" but remember you must forsake as well as
-Caroline A. Mason. confess. And keep this little coin as long

THE NICKEL THAT BURNED IN OES as you live to remind you of this first
THE NICKEL THAT BURNED IN JOE'S temptation."
POCKET.
D EACON JONES kept a little fish mar- THE MIND.
ket. "Do you want a boy to help IT is the Mynd that maketh gdod or ill,
you ?" asked Joe White, one day. "I guess 1 That maketh wretch or happier, rich or poor;
I can sell fish." For some, that hath abundance at his will,
Hath not enough, but wants in greatest store;
Can you give good weight to my cus- And other, that hath little, asks no more,
tomers, and take good care of my pen- But in that little is both rich and wise;
nies ? For Wisdome is most riches; Fools, therefore,
Yes, sir," answered Joe; and forthwith They are which Fortune's doe by vows devize,
he took his place in the market, weighed the Sith each unto himself his life may fortunize.
fish and kept the room in order. -Edmund Spensr.
"A whole day for fun, fireworks and
crackers to-morrow!" exclaimed Joe, as he WHERE WISDOM DWELLS.
buttoned his white apron about him the aay A LL the argument and all the wisdom
before the Fourth of July. A great trout are not in the encyclopedia, or the
was flung down on the counter, treatise on metaphysics, or the body of di-
"Here's a royal trout, Joe. I caught it vinity, but in the sonnet, or the play. In
myself. You may have it for ten cents, my daily work I incline to repeat my old
Just hand over the money, for I'm in a steps, and do not believe in remedial force,
hurry to buy my fire-crackers," said Ned in the power of change and reform. But
Long, one of Joe's mates, some Petrarch or Ariosto, filled with the
The deacon was out, but Joe had made new wine of his imagination, writes me
purchases for him before, so the dime was an ode, or a brisk romance, full of daring
spun across to Ned, who was off like a shot. thought and action. He smites and arouses
Just then Mrs. Martin appeared. "I want me with his shrill tones, breaks up my whole
a nice trout for my dinner to-morrow. This chain of habits, and I open my eye on my
one will do; how much is it ?" own possibilities. He claps wings to the
"A quarter, ma'am," and the fish was sides of all the solid old lumber of the
transferred to the lady's basket and the sil- world, and I am capable once more of
ver piece to the money-drawer. choosing a straight path in theory and
But here Joe paused. "Ten cents was practice.-R. W. Emerson.

14 e OUR BABIES.

----- ---m

4 _-'T,, ----- -- ... --
"i"
,
t

EASTERN GLEANERS.
,,, .. .,". .

T HE old law of Moses had many strange provisions, and among the rest, it instructed the farmer not to
be too careful of every ear of wheat, but to spare from the bountiful harvest some stray ears for the
poor. And so the poor were permitted to glean between the sheaves.
poor. And so the poor were permitted to glean between the sheaves.

OUR BABIES. 15

--

WALTER AND JET.

N OW, MR. JET, I want you listen very attentively to what I have to say. I am not supposed to be real
well, and when I complained to Aunt Frances this morning she said she thought I was looking a
little pale, and perhaps a half holiday might do me good. What do you say, Jet? "Three cheers for Aunt
Frances?" All right, Jet. Now you know I have got Harold's fishing tackle and basket, and I want you to
be particularly good; do you hear, Jet? You mustn't bark, or you'll scare the fish. And if you see a rat, just
go for him quietly and don't make any noise. I want you to understand that I've got lots of lunch in the
basket, and you shall have your share, only you must be very quiet, because I don't believe I'm real well

A /

*; a

16 OUR BABIES.

HELPING PAPA AND MAMMA. man never tires. He who tires is some-
PLANTING the corn and potatoes, thing less, and is undeserving the title of
Helping to scatter the seeds, man. You say you found it hard. Hard!
Feeding the hens and the chickens, Nothing is hard to a man who has the soul
Freeing the garden from weeds, of a man in him, so long as it is possible.
Driving the cows to the pasture,
Feeding the horse in the stall, No, no. There is no need of failure.
We little children are busy, Those who do not succeed fail because
Sure there is work for us all, they do not care enough about success to
Helping papa. make the requisite sacrifices to attain it.
Spreading the hay in the sunshine, They care more for something else. Balls,
Raking it up when 'tis dry, parties, ease: success may be incompatible
Picking the apples and peaches with all or any of these. The faint-hearted
Picowng the grcha h ard, young man will not give them up, and then
Gathering nuts in the fall, goes about complaining of his want of suc-
We little children are busy, cess. When a young man tells us he has
Yes, there is work for us all, tried-that is, tried anything reasonable-
Helping papa. and has not succeeded, we are very much
Sweeping, and washing the dishes, inclined to think he is in error, and that
Bringing the wood from the shed, what he calls a trial has been a puerile,
Ironing, sewing, and knitting, faint-hearted, halting effort, and that he
Helping to make up the bed, has never tried as a man should try.
Taking good care of the baby,
Watching her lest she should fall,
We little children are busy,
Oh, there is work for us all, DOING GOOD.
Helping mamma. VERY human being has a mission to
Work makes us cheerful and happy, perform. Every man has a part to act
Makes us both active and strong; in the world's great drama-one of most
PlaWh we enj allthe better longunspeakable importance. But how few are
Gladly we help our kind parents, there who come fully up to its standard
Quickly we come at their call; and endeavor by divine assistance to fulfill
Children should love to be busy, it. Man was created for a noble purpose,
There is much work for us all, endowed with an immortal mind, and is
Helping papa and mammacapable of performing good work. Con-
sider how great may be the influence of a
A MISTAKE-HE HAS NOT TRIED. single individual, either for good or evil.
If we have been influential in reforming
ANY a young man is moping list- one, a being made in the image of God, but
lessly about under the delusion that sadly misled by the contaminating influence
he has tried to do something in the world, of vice, we have performed a good work.
and has failed; and so he gives it up. There are various ways in which good
Young man, you are in error. You have may be accomplished, but when a good res-
not really and earnestly tried. What you solution is formed the work is too often
call a trial is unworthy of the name. You begun with a lack of confidence and perse-
seem not to know what the word trial verance, and impatient to accomplish the
means. You may have made occasional, undertaking, we despair at the first, diffi-
feeble, and spasmodic efforts to do some- culty. This should not be, but with more
thing, and not have made out anything. faith, the more distant the day of reward,
Such efforts are of no account, and should the harder we should labor, and not let our
never be reckoned a trial. Now let us ex- arms become palsied because we do not
plain to you something of our ideas of the meet with immediate and large results of
only kind of effort from which success our labors; but in time or eternity we shall
should ever be expected. Have you ever receive the reward.
set before your eyes one great, sole object Much good may be done with the pen,
to be accomplished-to be achieved at the and how much good has been done in this
sacrifice of everything else save conscience way, by which the influence of many still
and principle? Oh, yes, you may say; but live while they have long since gone to
you tired in the pursuit. We reply that a their final resting place. But we would not

OUR BABIES. 17

have you vainly ambitious to render your goose. The hatching continues for about a
name immortal, thinking to make a speck month, when the young are hatched. These
in the world by figuring in the papers, or are carefully attended by the parent birds
assume the importance of a fly that imag- until they are fully feathered and able to
ined itself turning the wheel upon which it obtain food for themselves. In the Conti-
was only turned round. But whatever you nental towns tame storks, which have been
do let it be done to the glory of God, and taken from the nest when young, may be
remember that He that converteth the often seen about the markets, where they
sinner from the error of his way shall save are recognized as scavengers, cleaning the
a soul from death and hide a multitude of place of fish entrails and other offal, to their
sins." own and the citizens' satisfaction. There
are other species, among which are the
MELODY IN THE AIR. black stork and the African gigantic stork,
T HAT is not an enviable nature thator the marabou.
hears no strange melodies hinting of HER GIFTS.
heaven through the mystic marches of the
year; that sees no glorious signs hung out What did she give?
Seart a s o ininit l Scant store of gold she gave to church or poor;
on earth and sky of an infinite love that She bought with wealth nor piety nor fame.
is never forgetful and never unkind; that Her foot scarce crossed the threshold of her door.
pauses not with reverent spirit to ponder A plaything to the childish world, her name
the lesson that is told in grass and tree and She never gave.
flower, and that feels no benediction in the What did she give?
bright air and the palpitating sky. He may She gave to greedy Toil her tender hands,
be just to his neighbor, industrious and virt- That other palms his roughened grasp might shun;
Alone she trod Pain's dreary desert lands,
uous, yet he does not understand the mean- That other feet,in pleasant paths might run.
ing of Jesus in the fields of Galilee, point- All this! Aye! more.
ing to the birds and lilies, and telling of What did she give?
our Father's care.-H. N. Powers. She gave up blessed Love for others' sake;
Desire she kissed and bid good-bye. Joy, Grace,
Her side forsook; her tryst with Hope she brake
THE STORK. And turned to Poverty a smiling face.
AS a rule, storks live in marshes, and Yes, more than this.
feed on reptiles, frogs, and their What could she more?
spawn, as well as on fishes and young Yes, one thing more. She left at last her ways.
birds. They are in all the old countries, Unhindered now her patient feet might run
ere. They lei ap le re on country To bear to undeserving hands the praise
where they live a privileged race on account A blind world gave for work that she had done.
of their usefulness, and of the havoc they None could do more.
make among the noxious animals. Their Life hath no more.
migration takes place in great flocks; they No more, dear heart, is thine to give. Thine all
are easily tamed. Is God's, and on His altar laid. His rod
Of these birds, the common or white And staff are thine. They only wait thy call.
stork of Europe is probably the best known. Ah! no; thy hand doth holdthem fast. Thy God
This species is from long habit very tame, -Annie M. Libby.
approaching the dwellings of man without
fear. In Holland and Germany especially LOVE'S FO
the bird is treated as a welcome guest, and LOVE FOUNDATIONS.
there, as indeed elsewhere, it annually TOVE is the foundation of all obedience.
returns to the nest which has cradled many J, Without it morality degenerates into
generations, on the steeple, on the turret, mere casuistry. Love is the foundation of
on the false chimney that the Hollander all knowledge. Without it religion degen-
has erected for its site, in the box or on the rates into a chattering about Moses and
platform which the German has placed for doctrines and theories; a thing that will
its use. The stump of a decayed tree is neither kill nor make alive, that never gave
sometimes chosen by the bird, and the nest life to a single soul or blessing to a single
is made of sticks and twigs, in which are heart, and never put strength into any hand
laid from three to five cream-colored eggs, in the conflict and strife of daily life.-
about the size of those of the common Alexander Maclaren.

18 OUR BABIES.

---_------_---= --- -- -= -:--- ----_ Z___

------ ;--------2_-- -- = -=----.--- --

TABBYBLUE AND HER FAMILY.

POOR Tabbyblue was the pet of the household, but she is now in sore distress. She has a lovely little
family of five little kittens, four are white and one is black. They are all to be given away but the
black one. Marion and Jessie are arranging about their disposal, and poor Tabbyblue is looking on in aze
anxious and unhappy state of mind.

I IA .I. ..

KING'S COLLEGE, EXETER, ENGLAND.

20 OUR BABIES.

ABOUT SUNSHINE. Sleepless people-and there are many in
America-should court the sun. The very
SWISH God had never permitted man worst soporific is laudanum, and the very
to invent 'green blinds,' said a gay best, sunshine. Therefore, it is plain that
and brilliant woman, poor sleepers should pass as many hours in
Why did she say it? the day in sunshine, and as few as possible
Because she saw, wherever she went, over in the shade.
our fair and sunshiny land, that green Many women are martyrs, and yet do not
blinds were closely shut upon our comforta- know it. They shut the sunshine out of
ble houses, excluding the sun's light, which their houses and their hearts; they wear
we may be sure God sends down for some veils; they carry parasols; they do all pos-
blessed purpose. That blessed purpose is sible to keep off the subtlest and yet most
to promote growth, to give strength, to im- potent influence, which is intended to give
part color, to gild with beauty, to inspire them strength, and beauty, and cheerful-
good thoughts and to insure light hearts ness. Is it not time to change all this, and
and cheerful faces, so get color and roses in our pale cheeks,
It is thoroughly well known that no val- strength in our weak backs, and courage in
uable plant can grow well without being our timid souls? The women of America
visited by the direct rays of the sun; no are pale and delicate-they may be bloom-
plant can bear seed, no fruit can ripen with- ing and strong, and the sunlight will be
out it. It is thoroughly well known that a potent influence in this transformation.
no valuable animal can grow and perfect it- Will they not try it a year or two, and
self except it enjoys the direct rays of the oblige thousands of admirers?
life-giving sun. The pigs of a friend of
mine, which were shut under his barn, and
who had everything favorable except the TRUE WEALTH.
sunlight, failed to grow well; they did not rHE true wealth of a man consists in
at all equal those which had the ordinary the number of things he loves and
run in the open air. So it is, as we all know, blesses, and by which he is loved and
with city-grown children; they are pale blessed.-Thomas Carlyle.
weaklings the world over.
The fish of the Mammoth Cave are white;
their eyes are not opened, because they have A NEGRO'S PRAYER.
never felt the glorious light; they are weak
and imperfect, a kind of idiots, if fish are A TEACHER in one of the colored
liable to that wretchedness. schools at the south was about to go
Now, then, can man, can woman thrive away for a season, and an old negro poured
if debarred this life-giving light? Can our out for her the following fervent petitions,
lovely Americans afford to shut out this which we copy from a private letter: "I
light from their houses, and grow idiotic in give you the words," said the writer, "but
the dark? Are not green blinds a curse, they convey no idea of the pathos and
rather than a comfort? We appeal to our earnestness of the prayer: 'Go afore her
fine women, who wish to be strong, who as a leading' light, an' behind her as a pro-
wish to be beautiful, who abhor "low spir- tectin' angel. Rough-shod her feet wid de
its," to consider this matter, preparation ob de Gospel o' peace. Nail
Recent discoveries have shown there is her ear to de Gospel pole. Gib her de eye
conveyed to animals, by the direct action of ob de eagle dat she spy out sin 'far off. Wax
the sun's rays, a subtle current of iron. It her hand to de Gospel plow. Tie her
does not exist in light, or but very slightly, tongue to de line ob truf. Keep her feet
if at all, but it is a part of the sun's rays. in de narrer way and her soul in de channel
Therefore, we must enjoy these rays, if we ob faith. Bow her head low beneaf her
would feel their full effect. This iron it is, knees, an' her knees way down in some
which is supposed to give color to plants lonesome valley where prayer and supplica-
and animals, and to impart strength and tion is much wanted to be made. Hedge
beauty. With strength and beauty come an' ditch 'bout her, good Lord, an' keep her
health and good spirits, and despondency in de strait an' narrer way dat leads to
and fear are banished, heafen."'

OUR BABIES. 21

THE NIGHTINGALE. was poor Muff, with a ring of white crock-.
O NIGHTINGALE, that on yon bloomy spray ery round her neck. In great astonishment,
Warblest at eve, when all the woods are still; Ted ran forward to get a closer view, but
Thou with fresh hope the Lover's heart doth fill, she quickly scrambled up among the coals,
While jolly hours lead on propitious May. out of reach, and no amount of coaxing
The liquid notes that close the eye of Day, out of reach, and no amount of coaxing
First heard before the shallow Cuckoo's bill, could bring her down.
Portend success in Love; O, if Jove's will You see, she had found the milk difficult
Have link'd that amorous power to thy soft lay, to get at, because the neck of the jug was
Now timely sing, ere the rude Bird of hate rather narrow, and having forced her head
Fortell my hopeless doom in some grove nigh;
As thou from year to year hast sung too late in, could not draw it back again. Then she
For my relief, yet had'st no reason why: got frightened and jumped off the dresser;
Whether the Muse or Love call thee his mate, the under part of the jug broke across
Both them I serve, and of their train am I when it struck the stone floor, and pussy
-John Mlton. was left with the upper part round her
neck.
MUFF'S MISHAP. I suppose she felt ashamed of looking so
SOME friends of mine have a gray cat, funny and ran into the cellar to hide her-
called Muff. She is very pretty and self. There she had contrived to knock off
gentle, and a great favorite among the chil- some of the crockery against the blocks of
dren of the family, but she has a fault com- coal, so that when Ted found her, she had
mon to cats, that of thieving. Cupboards only a collar left.
are carefully closed, doors kept shut, and As there was no use in trying to get her
dishes put on high shelves, yet clever Muff out of her dark hiding-hole, the children
manages to snatch a great many morsels went in to their lessons. Afterward, when
that never were intended for her teeth and they had just sat down to dinner, the door
claws, was softly pushed open, and in walked
One morning as the cook was opening pussy, quite herself again. She had got
the kitchen shutters, she suddenly remem- rid of her queer neck-ornament, I can't tell
bered that she had left a jug of milk stand- how. She could not have slipped her head
ing on the dresser the night before. I through, it was too tight for that, but prob-
hope pussy hasn't got at it, or we shall have ably she broke it against the stone wall of
none for breakfast," thought she, turning the cellar.
round to look. But there was nothing on However that may be, the culprit was
the dresser, except the toasting-fork and a made welcome by the children, and set at
wooden spoon, once upon the rug with a large plate of
Cook was beginning to think she must scraps, as she had had no food since the day
have put the milk into the larder after all, before, except the stolen milk.
when something on the floor caught her eye, Perhaps you expect to hear that this little
and stooping she picked up the bottom of adventure cured Muff of stealing, but I am
the jug, and some chips of crockery that sorry I cannot say it did, for she is still a
were lying beside it. terrible thief. I fear she will never be a
"Why, Maria! look here! she called to trustworthy cat.
the housemaid. "How has this happened ?
And where can the rest of the jug be?" MAN..
It's some trick of the cat's, you may be
sure," answered the housemaid, looking OW poor, how rich, how abject, how august,
about for the offender. But u's ed b Ho How complicate, how wonderful is man!
about for the offender. But Muff's bed by How passing wonder He, who made him such!
the hearth was empty, and she had disap- Who centred in our make such strange extremes!
peared. From different natures marvelously mixt,
When Maria carried the children's por- Connexion exquisite of distant Worlds!
ridge into the dining-room, she told theDistinguisht link in Being's endless chain!
ridge into the dining-room, she told the Midway from nothing to the Deity!
story to Ted, the youngest little boy, and A beam ethereal, sully'd and absorpt!
after breakfast pussy was, hunted for all Though sully'd and dishonor'd, still divine!
over the house and garden. But nowhere Dim miniature of greatness absolute!
could she be found, till at last little Ted ran An heir of Glory! a frail child of dust!
Sh Helpless Immortal! Insect infinite!
to the coal-cellar, and peeped in. There, A Worm! a God!
sitting in a corner, and mewing dolefully, --Edward Young.

22 OUR BABIES.

THE YOUNG DESERTER.
THE boys have been having a merry time playing at soldiers. Captain, Billy turned traitor and deserted.
Of course, Colonel Jim had to follow and arrest the young deserter. Captain Billy was brought back
in disgrace, but Colonel Jim's sword was broken in the scuffle. Would that the sword of war might be broken
forever.

OUR BABIES. 23

THE INVALID KITTEN.
W ALTER and Bessie were both very fond of their kitten, and when she fell sick, as the result of eating too
A little bed was made for her in an old market basket, and on the whole Kitty had a pretty good time of it.

24 OUR BABIES.

TRUST. the wood, the mouse to be cook, and the
M AKE a little fence of trust bird to draw the water. Now, what was the
Around to-day; consequence of all this ? The sausage went
Fill the space wth loving work, out to get wood, the bird lighted the fire,
And therein stay. and the mouse put on the saucepan, and
Look not through the sheltering bars sat down to watch it till the sausage
Upon to-morrow, returned home with wood for the next day.
God will help thee bear what comes, But he stayed away so long that the bird,
Sj o who wanted a breath of fresh air, went out
to look for him. On his way he met a dog
THE MOUSE, THE BIRD, AND THE who told him that, having met with the
SAUSAGE. sausage, and considering him as his lawful
THERE was once a little mouse, a little prey, he had devoured him.
bird, and a sausage, who formed a The bird complained greatly against the
partnership. They had set up housekeep- dog for his conduct, and called him a cruel
ing, and had lived for a long time in great robber, but it did no good.
harmony together. The duty of the little "For," said the dog, "the sausage had
bird was to fly every day into the forests, false papers with him, and, therefore, his
and bring home wood, the mouse had to life was forfeited to society."
draw water, to light the fire, and lay the The little bird, full of sorrow, flew home,.
table-cloth, and the sausage was cook. carrying the wood with him, and related to
How often when we are comfortable we the mouse what he had seen and heard.
begin to long for something new. So it They were both very grieved, but quickly
happened one day that the little bird had agreed that the best thing for them to do
met in his road another bird, to which he was for them to remain together.
had boasted of their happiness and friend- From that time the bird undertook to
ship at home. prepare the table, and the mouse to roast
The other bird replied scornfully, What something for supper, and to put the vege-
a poor little simpleton you are to work in tables into the saucepan, as she had seen
the way you do, while the other two are the sausage do; but before she had half
enjoying themselves at home. When the finished her task, the fire burnt her so
mouse has lighted the fire and drawn the terribly that she fell down and died.
water, she can go and rest in her little room When the little bird came home, expect-
till she is called to lay the cloth. The sau- ing to find something to eat, there was no
sage can sit by the stove while he watches cook to be seen, and the fire was nearly out.
that the dinner is well cooked, and when The bird, in alarm, threw the wood here
the dinner time arrives he devours four and there, cried out, and searched every-
times as much as the others of broth or veg- where, but no cook could be found.
tables tillhe quite shines with salt and fat." Meanwhile, a spark from the fire fell on
The bird, after listening to this, came the wood, and set it in a blaze, so that there
home quite discontented, and, laying down was danger of the house being burnt. The
his load, seated himself at the table, and ate bird ran in haste to the well for water.
so much and filled his crop so full that he Unfortunately he let the pail fall into the
slept till the next morning without waking, well, and being dragged after it, he sank
and thought this was a happy life. into the water and was drowned.
The next day the little bird objected to And all this happened because one little
go and fetch wood, saying, "That he had bird listened to another who was jealous of
been their servant long enough, and that he the happy little family at home, and from
had been a fool to work for them in this being discontented and changing their
way. He intended at once to make a arrangements they all met with an untimely
change, and to seek his living in another death..-Grimm.
way."
After this, although the mouse and the BETTER.
sausage were both in a rage, the bird was
master, and would have his own way. So ETTER to dwell in freedom's hall,
h e ed With a cold, damp floor and a mouldering wall,
he proposed that they should draw lots, and Than to bow the neck or bend the knee
the lots fell so that the sausage was to fetch In the proudest palace of slarens..

OUR BABIES. 25

THE BIRD'S RETURN. it would make good broth, but he could not
'~ HERE have you been, little birdie- bear to kill it.
V Where have you been so long?" He saw a neighbor going by the house,
and he ran out and put the dove in her
Warbling in glee hands.
Far o'er the sea,
And learning for you a newsong, "Please kill my dove," he said, "and
My sweet- make my mother some broth; she is so
Learning for you a new song." sick."
Then he ran in the house and tried not
"Why did you go, little birdie- to think of his poor little dove. He did
Why did you go from me?" not want his mother to see him cry, for
Winter was here, she would have said'that the dove should
Leafless and drear; not be killed.
And so I flew over the sea, In about an hour the neighbor brought
My sweet-
So I flew over the sea." some good, hot broth; and when Tim's
mother ate it she said she felt almost well
"What did you see, little birdie- again.
What did you see each day?" You shall have some more to-morrow,"
S e ad f s, said the woman. "I will make broth for
Sunshine and flowers, ,,
Blossoms and bowers, you every day until you are well again."
And pretty white lambkins at play." Tim followed the woman to the door as
My sweet- she went out, and said, so that his mother
Pretty white lambkins at play." should not hear, that he had no more
doves, and did not know how to get meat
Who kept you safe, little birdie-- for more broth.
Who kept you safe from all harm?"or more ro
Before the neighbor could/speak there
The Father of all, was a little rustle of wings, aifd Fairy flew
Of great and of small; in and perched on Tim's shoulder.
He sheltered me under His arm,
He shelter e under His" Coo coo !" she said, pecking at his
My sweet-
Under His dear, loving arm." cheek.
You see I did not kill your dove," said
TIM'S DOVE. the woman. "I made the broth from a
chicken, and I have plenty more at home.
ONE day, when little Tim Ray was pick- You were a good boy to be willing to have
ing berries in a field, he found a dove your pet dove killed to make broth for your
with a broken wing. He carried it home and mother."
bound the wing close to the dove's side How happy Tim was He loved his dove
with a linen band. Soon the wing was as better than ever, now that he had it back
well as ever and the dove could fly again ; again. His mother did not know until she
but it did not want to fly away from Tim, was quite well how near she had come to
for it had grown very tame. Tim was glad eating poor little Fairy.
to have it stay, for he had no toys or pets.
When he went to pick berries, the dove
would go, too, perched on his shoulder. A TREE FOR FRUIT, A MAN FOR WORK.
Tim named it Fairy, and taught it to come HE distinction and end of a soundly
at his call and eat from his hand. At constituted man is his labor. Use is
night the dove would roost on the head of inscribed on all his faculties. Use is the
Tim's bed. end to which he exists. As the tree exists
Tim's mother was taken very sick. There for its fruit so a man for his work. A fruit-
was no one to nurse her but Tim; and less plant, an idle animal, does not stand in,
when she could not eat, and began to the universe.
grow worse, Tim went for a doctor.
"She will get well if she has good food," NONE FRIENDLESS.
said the doctor. "She must have chicken
S, T hath been said -for all who die
or meat broth." I There is a tear;
Tim had no money to buy meat; but all Some bleeding, piningheartto,sigh,,
at once he thought of his dove. He knew O'er every bier..

26 OUR BABIES.

-- -

LITTLE GUS THE YOUNG FISHERMAN.
MASTER Gus is to have his first experience as a young fisherman. His father has long promised that
on the first really fine morning, when it is not too cold, he will take his little son along. The morning
has come, and his mother has turned him out as trim and neat a little sailor as ever you saw. A bonnier
young fisherman never set sail from Whitby by the Sea.

OUR BABIES. 27

LITTLE NANETTE, THE SOLDIERS' FRIEND.
H ERE is a company of cavaliers of the time of Charles I. They are on their way to York to engage
in that dreadful battle of Long Marston Moor. They have stayed at Farmer Jacque's cottage for
refreshment, and little Nanette is giving them water from her own little mug. Alas! not half of their number
will return to drink from Nanette's little mug.

28 OUR BABIES.

JOY AND SORROW. bed, and you know Harvey is away from
T HE gayest hours trip lightly by, Saturday to Monday."
And leave the faintest trace; Harvey" was the master who assisted
But the deep, deep track that sorrow wears, the rector in taking charge of his pupils.
Time never can efface. the rector n taking charge of his pupils.
-Hedderwick. We could make a rush for it," said
Willie Fletcher, "if only Newman were
ALL FOR FUN. out of the way this evening."
W"XT HAT fun it will be I say, you "Well, I have thought of a famous plan,"
Fellows, who's for a good lark ?" said Rob Wilson; "you know I have some
Rob Wilson's young schoolfellows crowded unused telegraph forms by me; suppose we
round him with eager faces; the day was draw out a telegram, summoning Newman
so sultry that even the most enthusiastic to London. Wouldn't it be a lark to make
cricketers were growing tired of bat and it come from the Bishop of London? New-
ball, and quite ready for something new" man will think he is going to be made a
wherewith to amuse themselves on their dean at least; you know he met the Bishop
half-holiday, at Cullingham Towers, and he will certainly
What's in your head now, Rob ?" asked go to town at the Bishop's request."
Phil Wyvie. "I say, isn't it a shame to "Oh, what fun!" cried the boys; "what
keep us within bounds while that circus is a take-in for old Newman." But one of
just across the fields?" them added: "I say, Wilson, does not a.
"The gardener says it's splendid," re- telegram need an official stamp, or some-
marked Bertie Lloyd, who was nine years thing of that sort?"
old, and the youngest of the eight boys who "Oh, never mind," said Rob; "Newman
boarded and studied at Sunningdale Rec- will be so delighted that he will certainly
tory ; there's a tremendous giant, and not examine the telegram very closely."
there are performing dogs, and Punch and Only one voice was raised against the
Judy, and all kinds of things." proposal; Bertie said that Mr. Newman
"Who cares for Punch and Judy ?" said would be disappointed when he found out
Harry Maynard, scornfully; "we are not it was all a hoax, and it would be a shame
all babies, Master Bertie; but I confess I to send him all the way to London for
should like to see the camels and the clever nothing.
elephant that passed down the town yester- But Bertie's opposition was fruitless, for
day in the procession. It's too bad of Mr. the plan had a double charm for the boys;
Newman to keep us out of all that fun." it was a bit of mischief such as they en-
"Just as if the circus could harm us joyed, and, besides, it left them free for the
called out Willie Fletcher. "I believe old fun of the circus.
Newman thinks if we were once in a circus The telegram was drawn up, summoning
we should begin to swear directly, and get Mr. Newman to the Bishop of London's.
intoxicated; he ought to treat us like palace at Fulham by the next train, and
gentlemen. I am sure we are old enough giving "important business" as the reason
to choose our amusements for ourselves." of the telegram. Harry Maynard found in
Bertie was fond of the rector, and put the rubbish-basket a telegraphic envelope
in a timid voice in his behalf. Mr. New- addressed to Mr. Newman, and in this they
man says there is scarlet-fever out in the placed the telegram (written in pencil) and
fields," said he, "and that the circus will fastened it together.
spread infection by bringing people near Rob often took part in the school cha-
the cottages where there is illness." rades, and his face looked natural and inno-
"Well, we are not such cowards as to be cent when he knocked at the study-door,
afraid of fever," said Rob Wilson, the first and said: "Here is a telegram for you, sir;
speaker ; nobody catches fever unless they there is nobody waiting."
are afraid. I say, boys, don't you want to Mr. Newman's look of surprise and pleas-
see the circus awfully ? The Saturday ure greatly amused and delighted Rob, who
evening performance is the best of all." rushed back to his eager schoolfellows, and
"If only Mr. Newman were out of the reported that, "Old Newman is safe to go;
way," sighed George Peterson with a mel- he looks as pleased as Punch."
ancholy face; "Mrs. Newman would not In about twenty minutes the rector came
come near the schoolroom, for she is ill in out to the cricket-field, and said: "I have

OUR BABIES. 29

received a telegram calling me to London across the meadows; they were obliged to
on business, and I have therefore arranged hurry back, for in the rector's absence, the
to leave by the five o'clock train. I cannot curate of the parish would be sure to call
be back till nearly midnight, and, as Mr. in and read prayers soon after nine. Their
Harvey is also away, you will be left to supper of milk and bread-and-butter awaited
yourselves for two or three hours. You them in the dining-room, but somehow they
will retire at your usual time, and I trust had little appetite, and their punishment be-
you to conduct yourselves during my ab- gan when the parlor-maid said, Your uncle
sence as honest and conscientious boys." rode over to see you this evening, Master
"Yes, sir," said Bertie, and "Yes, sir," Fletcher, but I could find you nowhere, not
two or three of the others echoed faintly, even in the cricket-field; did Mr. Newman
Mrs. Newman was suffering from a very give you permission to go out of bounds?"
:severe headache, and she had gone to her "Yes," said Willie Fletcher, hastily, but
room early in the afternoon. The rector he had an inward horror of falsehood, and
and his wife had only one child, a pretty, tears of shame filled his eyes directly after.
blue-eyed baby of two years old, the pet of He would not have missed the company of
.all the boys, and the treasure of her parents' his uncle for a great deal, and devoutly
hearts. did he wish that, like Bertie, he had refused
Little Gwen called out to Rob in her to join the circus party.
laughing prattle as he stole past the nursery Mr. Newman looked tired and ill next
that evening very quietly on his way down day at breakfast-time; he was not strong,
to the side door; the other boys had crept and the double journey to London, and the
away, one by one, to the circus, and Rob annoyance of finding the telegram a "hoax,"
was last, for he had forgotten to bring down had thoroughly upset him. He could not
his purse from the bedroom, imagine who had played upon him so mean
Rob shook his head at Gwen, and told and unkind a trick; the boys forgot the
her he could not stop to talk, for he was "fun of their plan as they saw his depres-
busy; she looked disposed to cry, and nurse sion of spirits, and heard that he was too un-
said, I see Master Bertie is all alone in the well to conductthe service for young people
front garden; I suppose the others are at in the afternoon a service that always in-
cricket; we'll go and play with Bertie for a terested them.
little while, Gwennie, and then you must go Gentle Mrs. Newman looked distressed
to bed." to see her husband so low-spirited, and she
But Gwen must have a "good-night" begged him to go and lie down. Altogether
kiss from Rob; he squeezed a penny into it was a sorrowful breakfast, and Rob was
her little fat hand, and as he ran along inclined to think that Willie Fletcher, in bed
across the fields, the baby's prattle followed with sore-throat, was having the nicest time
him. He thought of his own little sister, of it.
and wished, oh, how yearningly that he Willie's throat was much worse next day,
could hasten the holidays and see the dear and on Monday evening the baby sickened,
home faces then, and the doctor pronounced both cases to be
But very soon all his ideas, and those of scarlet-fever. The boys were hastily sent
his schoolfellows, were taken up by the won- with Mr. Harvey across the hill to the curate's
derful performances of "Gipsy," a little residence, where they waited in miserable
pony that jumped through a hoop, played suspense day by day for the reports as to
" dead," fired a pistol, untied knots with its Willie and Gwen.
mouth, and succeeded in winning loud ap- Early in the first week of illness Willie
plause for its trainer. Every one of the had made confession to the rector, and the
boys wished devoutly he were a circus other boys were glad of it, for they felt no
trainer, and had charge of such a famous punishment could be severe enough for
pony; when the elephant show came on, the their unkindness as to the telegram, and
crowd increased, and the boys were rather their thoughtlessness as to the danger of
annoyed to be jostled so uncomfortably by infection. However, after a few days with
many who looked like strangers to soap and the curate, each of them went sadly home,
water, and strove to get out. bearing no other punishment than the
At last the clock of Sunningdale Church knowledge that two young lives were in
struck nine, and the sound rang out to them terrible danger.

30 OUR BABIES.

-St,--~--_-- __-

p-

THE STORM.
S ARK! the boatswain hoarsely bawling:- Now the dreadful thunder rolling,
By topsail-sheets and halyards stand; Peal on peal, contending, clash,
Down top-gallants, quick, be hauling; On our heads fierce rain falls pouring,
Down your staysails, hand, boys, hand! In our eyes blue lightning flash;
Now it freshens, set the braces, One wide water all around us,
The lee topsail-sheets let go; All above us one black sky,
Luff, boys, luff! don't make wry faces, Different deaths at once surround us;-
Up your topsails nimbly clew." Hark! what means that dreadful cry?
: l

Up your topsails nimbly clew." Hark! what means that dreadful cry?

OUR BABIES. 31

BABY JOE AND THE PONY.

S HAGGY SHAKE was one of the wildest of Shetland ponies, but he was always kind and tender to Baby
,Joe. Joe's mamma has accustomed the baby to bring a handful of hay every morning to Shaggy Shake,
and very soon the wild Shetlander would snort and whinny if Baby Joe was a little late. Be kind to animals,
for they are all naturally grateful for kindness.

32 OUR BABIES.

A HINDOO HYMN. timid and frightened just at first, and put
Hon. W. E. Baxter, M.P., in a pleasant little sketch of India, his little head from side to side, as much as
says that, although the converts of the missionaries in Hindoo- to say, Where am II wonder? and looked
stan are few and far between, they are by their successful
schools shaking to its center the whole fabric of heathenism, about with his round black eyes. By de-
and that the upper classes have no faith in the gods of their
fathers. He found a hymn-book composed y Sala Behari al agrees he became bolder, and hopped about
for the use of an association of Hindoo reformers. One of the from perch to perch.
hymns, which might be sung in any Christian church, runs as
follows: One morning when nurse came to give
T HOU art my Maker. Master Jack his breakfast of bread and
Thou art the Creator of the world; milk, she could not see him in the cage or
Thine's all the universe, anywhere about. Presently she heard the
Blessed be thy name. bird call "Jack! or something that sounded
The sun and moon, while turning, very like it. On turning round she saw
Speak forth Thy praise; birdie on the edge of little Maud's bowl of
Thou weighest the earth in balance, bread and milk, eating away, while little
Blessed be Thy name. Maud clapped her hands with glee at Jacky
eating her breakfast. Nurse could not find
Opens the door to Thy glory, out how the bird had managed to get out
And wafts abroad Thy divinity. of his cage; and how do you think he did?
Blessed be Thy name. He had taken hold of one of the canes,
which was loose, and lifted it up with his
From the smallest tree, beak, and so squeezed his body through.
From the ant to man,
All is created by Thee. How to get him back was a question no
Blessed be Thy name. one in the nursery could answer. So mother
was sent for, and she thought of holding the
All the rivers and seas cage with the door open, close to Jack, to
Are full of Thy righteousness; see if he would go back; which he did at
Thou art limitless, eternal.
Blessed be Thy name. once.
Another day he gave us a very great
Thy name is great fright. He was nowhere to be seen. The
Who hath wrought all these works; nursery door had been left open, and Jack,
I offer all my praise to Thee. missing his companions of the nursery, who
had gone out for a walk, had flown down
stairs into the drawing-room, and out through
LITTLE JACK. the open window, on to the top of a tall
A TRUE STORY. poplar tree in the garden When we went
out to look for him, he called "Jack," "Jack,"
I AM going to tell you a tale, dear chil- and there, very high up indeed, was birdie,
dren, not of a little boy, nor of a little looking so happy and knowing, as if he
dog, but of a little bird who paid us a visit would like to stay there; it was quite a pity
in the summer, while his mistress went to to want him to come down. But he must,
the seaside for a holiday, or what would his mistress say when she
Jack was born in Africa, where, you know, came back and found her bird had been
it is very hot. He was brought to England lost? Oh dear! we were troubled. Would
by a sailor. Jacky come down from that lovely tree, we
Jack was a regular beauty, and he seemed wondered ? His cage was brought, and
to know it, too, by the saucy way he would birdie, like a dear, good little thing, came
put his head on one side. down directly. He was well scolded, of
Let me tell you what he was like. He course; but we were very glad to have him
was about the size of a starling, with a yel- back.
low body, red breast, black wings, and head After a few weeks Jacky went home to
partly yellow and partly black, his own mistress. Everyone was very sorry
He was brought in a cage made of bam- to part with him, he had become such a pet,
boo canes, large and strong-looking. Well, and so tame he would hop on little Maud's
he was taken into the nursery, as it was finger and kiss her.
considered the brightest and warmest room He died shortly after his return. We
in the house. The little children were, of thought, perhaps, he missed his kind little
course, delighted; but poor Jack was very friends of the nursery.

OUR BABIES. 33

"BOB WHITE." may call that stage death in which these
WHOSE voice is that that wakes me Erom sleep conditions have entirely disappeared. Now,
As soon as the day begins to peep, among the conditions necessary for the sup-
Now under the wall, and now in the hay, port of life in general are some which are
Now in the meadow piping away unfavorable to individual life. Among
these may be specially noted the action of
He seems as fond of his common name those subterranean forces by which the
As humans who've attained to fame. earth's surface is continually modeled and
But he isn't conceited, not a mite, remodeled. It has been remarked with
Tho' he wakes us up before 'tis light
To call Bob White." great justice, by Sir John Herschel, that
since the continents of the earth were
Our Robert has just two notes, that's all, formed forces have been at work which
But many a bird might envy his call, would long since have sufficed to have de-
So rich, and full, so joyous, and free stroyed every trace of land and to have left
For a matin singer there's none to me
Like dear Bob White." the surface of our globe one vast limitless
ocean. But against these forces counte:-
"Wake up!" we hear from among the sheaves, acting forces have been at work, constantly
"There is work to do, and old time leaves disturbing the earth's crust, and by keep-
The laggard and lazy on the way,
The best time for work is this very day, ing it irregular, leaving room for oceans in
And I'm Bob White!'" the depressions and leaving the higher
parts as continents and islands above the
Let me give you a warning, Robert dear, ocean's surface. If these disturbing forces
A man with a gun is drawing near, ceased to work, the work of disintegrating,
He wants a quail to put on his toast
Or else a nice tit-bit for a roast! wearing away, and washing off the land
Fly away, Bob White!" would go on unresisted. In periods of time
such as to us seem long no very great effect
Ha! ha! he's off! and the gun goes down. would be produced; but such periods as
You think yourself smart, my man from town; belong to the past of our earth, even to that
But your toast will wait, and your oven cool; comg toithe pst of our earth even to that
I know one bird who is not a fool, comparatively short part of the past during
And that's Bob White." which she has been the abode of life, would
suffice to produce effects utterly inconsistent
with the existence of life on land. Only
THE MATERIAL LIFE OF A PLANET. by the action of her volcanian energies can
THE material life of a planet is begin- the earth maintain her position as an abode
ning to be recognized as being no less of life. She is, then, manifesting her fit-
real than the life of a plant or of an animal. ness to support life in those very throes by
It is a different kind of life; there is neither which, too often, many lives are lost. The
consciousness such as we see in one of those upheavals and downsinkings, the rushing
forms of life, nor such systematic progress of ocean in great waves over islands and
as we recognize in plant life. But it is life, seaports, by which tens of thousands of
all the same. It has had a beginning like human beings, and still greater numbers of
all things which exist; and like them all it animals, lose their lives, are part of the evi-
must have an end. The lifetime of a world dence which the earth gives that within her
like our earth may be truly said to be a life- frame there still remains enough of vitality
time of cooling. Beginning in the glowing for the support of life during hundreds of
vaporous condition which we see in the sun thousands of years yet to come.-Contem-
and stars, an orb in space passes gradually porary Review.
to the condition of a cool, non-luminous
mass, and thence, with progress depending LEARN TO CLIMB.
chiefly on its size (slower for the larger NFINITE toil would not enable you to
masses and quicker for the small ones), it I sweep away a mist; buc by ascending a
passes steadily onward toward inertness little you may often look over it altogether.
and death. Regarding the state in which So it is with our moral improvement; we
we find the earth to be as the stage of a wrestle fiercely with a vicious habit, which
planet's mid-life viz., that in which the would have no hold upon us if we ascended
conditions are such that multitudinous into a higher moral atmosphere.-Arthur
forms of life can exist upon its surface, we Helps.
i

34 OUR BABIES.

MILLING TIME.

OUR BABIES. 35

THE WEE BIT BAIRN.
W E ha'e a wee bit bairn at hame, Wha kens the wee thing, what he'll be
Sae blithesome, cannie bright, When years a score ha'e gane?
That ever syne the day he came Gladding his mither's grateful e'e,
Has filled the house wi' light. Piercing her breast wi' thorn !
Barefit he toddles roun' the streets, God gie His angels charge to keep
Wi' gran'sire close behind ; The bairnie, lest he stray:
Giving ilk person that he meets And though in death we fa' asleep,
Piece o' his childish min'. Show him the narrow way.

36 OUR BABIES.

HEAVEN'S CURE FOR EARTH'S CARE. in spite of the late hour, the flowers were
M ANY a burden, many a labor, not asleep, but talking gaily among them-
Many a fretting care; selves.
Busy footsteps coming, going, "Very true," said the queen of the roses,
Little time for prayer. nodding her dainty head, "the child has
Duties waiting on my threshold escaped her nurse, and has come again to
Will not be denied; visit us, but I wonder if she understands
Others, coming round the corner, what we say?"
Crowding to their side. "Of course she does," said a calla lily,
How shall I these number, Master? who had been waltzing with a tulip, these
How shall I get through? queer beings who, among ourselves, we call
orw e ha hamid t tumult? mortals, understand more than you think
for, and you know they call themselves
Thou canst still the wildest conflict, lords of creation."
Bid the billows cease; "Pardon me," said the myrtle, holding
Thou canst fill earth's busiest moment,
With thy perfect peace. her sides for laughter, "but is that true? I
never would have thought it. I have heard
Give thy strength to meet my weakness, that some of them commit a dozen trifling
Give a heart at rest; s ad sl tk ts m .
Give a childlike, trustful spirit, crimes and still thi th themselves mortal.
Leaning on thy breast. Yes," said the rose, who was not inclined
to laugh, and who looked very solemn, "but
you know why that is? Those who have not
THE VIOLET AND THE NIGHTINGALE. even true greatness make their own laws
T is very true that most people do not, or and according to them they are not com-
at least do not try to understand the mitting any fault, and so, of course, they
voices of the flowers. But perhaps the only allow themselves great privileges."
reason that I learned them was because I I wondered at this; was it true then that
was so anxious to. our world was far wickeder than that of the
It is true I stole from the nursery at night, flowers. No, no," I said, interrupting the
and descending the gloomy staircase, found queen, "some people here are very good."
myself wandering in the conservatory, stop- You are only a child," she said laugh-
ping before the violets, the roses, and the ing, "and you are very good." I smiled at
lilies, listening alternately to what they were this and thought their queen very beautiful.
saying. Just then the nightingale came flying over
One time, I remember, the house was full to where I.was ; he hopped over to the vio-
of guests who had not yet left the dining lets, and before I could scare him away, he
room, but when they did so, I was found had bitten off one of their pretty heads, and
and quickly carried off to bed. I shook it daintily out of his beak; then to my
There was a caged nightingale in the con- great surprise he flew back to his cage and
servatory to whose singing I would listen entered it.
for hours, wondering at its beautiful melody. One of the violets was very much enraged
One night, being there alone, I was sorely at the death of its poor friend and swore
tempted to open the door of the cage and vengeance on the nightingale, and I was very
let him fly out, it seemed as if there was much astonished when I saw its blue head
something inspiring in his song, something and slender green body hurrying out from
I could not resist, a sad, pleading melan- the midst of its leaves, and almost fly
choly, pleading for liberty. I opened the toward the nightingale's cage; on the way
door and out flew the wondrous songster; I saw it stoop down, and in a manner
I: did: not think him very pretty, but when manage to pick up a sharp blade of grass
he sang I ceased to think of his plumage. that was lying near a rose plant. When it
I watched him as he flew happily about reached the cage it said in a low, sweet
from flower to flower, then he sang wildly, voice:
joyfully, as if thanking me, and me alone "Won't you sing for me, fair bird?" The
for the liberty I had granted him. I closed nightingale was charmed at this and began

the glass door leading into the landing singing some wonderful melody.
where a single forgotten taper was burning, Charming," said the flower when it had
but around me was only the moonlight; and ceased, "and now I have brought you *

OUR BABIES. 37

gift; it is good for the voice if you will try Little by little the world grows strong,
and swallow it whole, see, in this way," and Fighting the battle of right and wrong.
the flower held it up endways toward the Little by little the rog givas way,
bird's beak. The nightingale, taking the Little by little all longing souls
little flower's offer all in good faith, snapped Struggle up nearer the shining goals!
at the grass and tried to swallow it, but in Little by little the good in men
'spite of all its efforts it could not, and in a Blossoms in beauty for human ken.
moment I saw that it was strangling. I Little by little the angels see
reached in through the door with my hand, Prophecies better of good to be;
Little by little the God of all
but the nightingale in its agony had gone Lifts the world nearer His pleading call.
to the farthest corner of the cage and I -Leon Herbert.
could not reach it. I looked around for the
wicked violet, but it had disappeared, and A WELL-ORDERED HOME.
in a moment I saw that the bird would IF every woman would set it before her, as
never sing again; he lay dead in his cage. an aim worthy of all that is strongest and
For a long time I stood there weeping, best in her, to conduct a well-ordered home,
then took him tenderly in my hands and a great deal of happiness and real beauty
went out into the night. It was almost like would be gained It is wonderful
day, the moon shone so bright, and the to see how much ingenuity is displayed by
park stretched so quietly and peacefully some women, who, with very little money,
beneath it. In the distance and the silence are always dressed in perfect taste, and with
I saw the river winding like a silver thread no apparent effort, keep old furniture from
through the moonlit meadows, then beyond looking shabby, old carpets and curtains
the dense forest, the slumbering earth, and fresh and bright. But these things are ac-
the dark hills. complished by much thought and a great
Soon the bird was placed in a grave deal of hard work. Nothing helps a person
beneath the wide stretching branches of a to do things like doing them; and it is a fact
beech tree. that in time one who has an actual distaste
On awakening in the morning, my first for housework may come to regard her
thought was, How shall I tell my grand- kitchen as a laboratory, in which careful
mother what has happened. She will not manipulations will produce exact results.
believe me." One seeing only these results is not very
Our nightingale is dead," were the first much to blame for thinking them brought
words I said to her, and I led her to the about in some magical way Of
little grave beneath the beech tree, but not course there is a difference in people, btit
being able to find it, together we entered many would be surprised if they were told
the conservatory, that the reason why they cannot do certain
The bird was in his cage and welcomed things is because they never really tried.
my grandmother by coming to the wires. A capital motto to be hung over the
But he died in the night," I said, unable kitchen door is this, "Thou desirest truth
to comprehend it, and that I could not find in the inward parts"; and the woman who,
the grave which I had dug in the moonlight, when she expected company to tea, always
"In your dreams, perhaps, my child," she went the first thing and washed the cellar
answered.-Miss Shufeldt. stairs, had tendencies in the right direc-
tion "If there is to be any dirt in
LITTLE BY LITTLE. the house," said the best housekeeper I ever
saw, let it be where I can see it; let it lie
ITTLE by little the time goes by- on the parlor tables and chairs, rather than
Long if you sing through it, long if you sigh; be allowed to remain under the beds, and
Little by little-an hour, a day,
Gone with the years that have vanished away; in corners where it will become rich soil for
Little by little the race is run, the development of germs of disease."
Trouble and waiting and toil are done Girls," said grandmother to us one day,
Little by little the skies grow clear; when we had been having one of our what
Little by little the sun comes near; aunt Dinah would call clarin'-up times,"-
Little by little the days smile out girls, my grandmother used to tell me that
Gladder and brighter on pain and doubt; s w a
Little by little the seed we sow one 'keep clean is worth a dozen 'make
Into a beautiful yield will grow. cleans.'"
t

38 OUR BABIES.

1..... ; -- ---:. -.---. ------ ---------- _- =- ---- -_ =_--|

__ 1
-- --- -
p--

PLOUGHING IN PALESTINE.

T HE methods of ploughing in Palestine to-day are little changed from the methods that were in use four
thousand years ago. The traveler through the Holy Land sees men and modes of life much as they
existed when Job was a farmer in the land of Uz, and David fed his father's flocks on the plains of Bethlehem.
2I..._

.. i
'-=.. --7'. i
.......~. r: yA -; ..___-__:-

'' " --- ,--_._- :_-._- -
_- ZiZ -- --

existed when Job was a farmer in the land of Ut, and David fed his father's flocks on the plains of Bethlehem.

OUR BABIES. 39

=A4..

4--
__ ,.,

.. .'.....

THE YOUNG MIDSHIPMAN.
T" HE sea! thresea! the open sea! I love, oh! how I love to ride
SThe blue, Ithe fresh, the ever free! On the fierce, foaming, bursting tide,
Without a mark, without a bound, When every mad wave drowns the moon,
It runneth the earth's wide regions round; Or whistles aloft his tempest tune,
Jt plays with the clouds; it mocks the skies; And tells how goeth the world below,
Or like a cradled creature lies. And why the sou'west blasts do blow.
::!.,,; .: :,
j s'i ...:. '

MORNING. the box, covered up, where I hoped it would
YET never sleep the sun up. be shielded from draughts. For the weath-
Prayer should dawn with the day. er was cold that season, although spring had
There are set, awful hours twixtt heaven and us. long set in.
The manna was not good after sunrising. At four o'clock in the morning I woke up
Far day sullies flowers.
Rise to prevent the sun. to feed this infant again, for so small a
Sleep doth sins glut. creature must not be left too many hours
And heaven's gate opens when this world is shut. without food, or it would become faint and
-Henry Vaughan. weak, and soon die. It was a great pleas-
ure to me to hear the 'fcheep, cheep," as
THE DESERTED FLEDGLING. soon as I opened the box-lid, and to see the
C ALLING at a friend's house one day, long neck stretched up toward me, and the
SI found her busy feeding an unfledged little stumps, that were to become beautiful
canary with chopped egg from a quill, and wings, fluttering with evident expectancy;
upon inquiry, I heard that the other nest- and I lost no time in popping a good large
lings, the brothers and sisters of this little quillful of egg into the open beak, and then
one, having died, the parents had left off another, and another, till my birdie could
caring for it, and, in fact, had been discov- really eat no more. Then I drew the warm
ered in the act of commencing to build a light coverings about it again, and it soon
new nest on the top of the little helpless subsided to sleep, as healthy human babies
creature-a terrible species of immuring do, too, after a good meal.
and starving to death of the lonely one of Thus things went on for a few days, and
a brood, which is occasionally known to the large head began to look a little less
take place. So my friend had rescued the out of proportion to the rest of the body;
tiny bird, which was still so small and for the deserted fledgling was growing and
young and featherless, that it appeared to thriving. The eyes began to, open and to
be all head and fluff; and for some hours look at me, whilst the wings fluttered when
she had nursed it, and warmed it, and fed it. I administered food.
But she had a whole aviary of birds be- And already a beautiful little perfect row
sides this one, and a whole nursery full of of golden-yellow tail-feathers had appeared,
children -besides the birds, so she said: looking like crocuses just showing their
"Will you take it, and see if you can bright tips above the ground; and I was
bring it up ?" very pleased. I had each day sent a bulle-
I gladly undertook the charge, for I tin of the little patient's well-doing to his
thought that if I could keep it alive till it former mistress, and was full of anticipa-
grew a little stronger, and got some plu- tion of what was to come when he should
mage, what a charmingly tame little pet it be quite fledged, and able to sit on my
would be. I had once begun to tame a finger, and to occupy a cage, and act like a
canary at three months old, and he became bird of good sense and breeding.
very tame indeed. But what would it be One morning, on my opening his little
with a bird taken in hand at three days old box, I found him apparently very feeble.
So I carried it off with me in a little card- He did not say Cheep, cheep," as usual;
board box, with a lid to it, furnished inside and when I took him up, he felt less warm
with some cotton-wool and flannel, and than he ought to have done. I saw at once
every two hours I fed it. At first I had a that he had taken cold through having got
little difficulty in getting it to take the partly out of his wraps during the night,
chopped egg and bread-crumbs from the when he could not get properly into them
quill, but very soon it seemed to know my again. How sorry I was that I had not
voice, and no sooner did I open the box and tied something about him, so as to prevent
lift out the little bundle-all head and cot- any risk of such an accident! I took him
ton-wool, as it appeared to be-than the into bed at once, and warmed him, and fedl
yellow bill gaped wide, and with an inces- him, and he seemed a little better. But he
sant" Cheep, cheep, cheep," the little creat- did not take his food as willingly as he hadl
ure took all that I gave it in great mouthfuls. been accustomed to do, and I felt rather
At night I fed it the last thing, and then anxious. I nursed him all that morning in
I put the cotton-wool round it, and wrapped my hands as much as possible, wrapped in
the flannel round that again; and I placed cotton-wool, so as to keep the warmth in

OUR BABIES. 41

him, and I frequently offered him food. More bother than I'm worth; more bother
Sometimes I hoped that the effects of the than I'm worth Now, I wonder if I am ?
chill had passed off, and that he would still I try to help mother all I can ; I rock the
recover. baby, I go to the post office, she sends me
But in spite of all my care and efforts, the after meat and milk, and I pick up lots of
little life waned away during the day, and chips, and tease her most every day to let
when night came there was no birdie to be me wipe the dishes, and when I do all she
wrapped up warmly, or to Cheep, cheep," wants me to do, she never tells me that I
over his supper. And when bedtime came, have been a good boy or that I have done
and the early morning returned, the room well. But if I am naughty or make a mis-
seemed silent and lonely, take, as I did with the yarn, she is sure to
If I ever again try to nurse up a baby- tell me of that. Oh, dear there is no use
bird I shall certainly endeavor to make in trying." And poor Freddie ended his
quite sure of its keeping warm during both sad thoughts with a cry.
day and night. That is an essential point, Now, dear sisters, are there not a great
for without warmth they cannot live. Noth- many Mrs. B's? I trust there are but few
ing but cotton-wool, which continually gives mothers among the readers of our papei
out and reduplicates the heat that it who would speak as did Mrs. Baker, but
receives, can, I suppose, replace the extreme cannot many of us learn a lesson from Fred-
warmth of the mother-bird's downy feath- die's experience? Are we not more apt to
ers beneath which the young ones constantly speak of the mistakes than we are to praise
nestle until their own are well grown; and the good in our little ones? There is an
I believe if this question of warmth be care- apology for the half sick and overworked
fully taken into account and attended to, mothers, and it is not strange that they are
the bringing up of young birds would be often cross and impatient. Yet if they would
not so very difficult, and the life of many a only try to appreciate the many, many little
poor little deserted or motherless fledgling favors they receive from their children, and
might be saved.-By the author of Mora- not be afraid to tefl them so, but be willing;
vian Life in the Black Forest." to give them all the credit that is due to
them, how much better it would be for
all!
MORE BOTHER OR WORTH ? We must not think our duty done when
our children are fed and clothed, no matter
D O go a way you're more bother how carefully and daintily it may be done.
than you're worth." Their young hearts long for a mother's sym'-
Mrs. Baker spoke as she was apt to do, pathy and tender love. We ought to be as
thoughtlessly, little thinking what a dagger anxious to notice and develop the good in
she had sent to the heart of her seven- the hearts of our little ones as to extermi-
years-old boy. She had called him in from nate the evil.
his play to assist her in winding some But first of all we must put our own
yarn; he had come willingly, even gladly, "house in order;" regulate our own heart,
but, getting tired, and as the skein seemed repress anger, self-will, love of ruling, in-
to him endless, he became careless, and be- dignation at rebellion ; let only affection
fore he knew it, the yarn had fallen from reign in our heart, and thoughts of our
his hands in a tangle. His mother, nervous child's good fill our mind. For in real-
and in a hurry, as she always was, dismissed ity these little ones are not ours; they are
him with the above harsh words. With her our Father's. He has lent them to us
mind upon the tangle, she did not notice for a season; we are only stewards in the
the quivering lip or the sad look that came service of our Master. How important,
over her boy's face as he turned and walked then, that we should be very careful in
out of doors. Could that well-meaning the training of these dear ones, knowing
mother have looked in her boy's heart, that we are doing work for eternity. We
would she not have shuddered at the must pray for His guidance, that we may
effect of those terrible words ? be enabled to lead these precious treasures
Poor Freddie he could not play, but he to Him, and be rewarded for care and
hurried round to the back yard, threw him- tenderness by hearing the Spirit whisper of
self upon the grass, and thought it all over. "Well done,"

42 OUR BABIES

WELCOME TO KING CHRISTMAS.
O NCE more the rapid, fleeting year When burgher grave, and belted knight,
Has brought old Christmas to the door; And cottage maid, and lady fair,
Come, let us treat him with such cheer, Obeyed the old familiar sprite,
As folks were wont in days of yore, And at his bidding banished Care,

OUR BABIES. 43

MOONLIGHT IN THE WOODS.
H OW sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! Is thick inlay'd with patterns of bright gold;
Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music There's not the smallest orb, which thou behold'st,
Creep in our ears; soft stillness and the night But in his motion like an angel sings,
Become the touches of sweet harmony. Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubim;
Look, how the floor of heaven, Such harmony is in immortal sounds!

44 OUR BABIES.

LOVE. Katie is one of my best children. Do you
A VOLUME in a word- know what my name is, little one ? It is
An ocean in a tear; Fairy Wcrkall; and just to show you how
An old, a never-ending song, my good girls behave, I will take you with
That angels stoop to hear. me to pay some visits ;" and springing up,
A seraph's perfumed kiss- she touched Cora with her wand. "There
An AEtna of unrest; now," she said, "you are invisible; now
A word, the royal king of words, come with me."
Writ on Jehovah's breast!
-_Transcript. And Cora felt herself rising in the air;
a moment more, and she was flying in the
THE DREAM. wake of the fairy with great swiftness.
Cora was rather frightened, but at the
HE bright summer sunshine was cast- same time it certainly was great fun, and
ing its cheerful beans upon the ivy she was only a little surprised at finding
which covered the porch of Gurlay Lodge, herself in a few moments outside the house
and sending its rays through the windows of her friend Katie Morgan.
into little Cora Gurlay's bright schoolroom, Now watch," said the fairy.
but the room looked empty and deserted. And Cora entered the sitting-room of the
The fact of the matter was, that a very dear house, and saw her friend Katie reading
friend of Mrs. Gurlay's having come to pay patiently to her grandfather a newspaper
her a visit, little Cora had been granted a article which to her was very stupid. The
holiday, and even now was wending her time passed quickly, and in what seemed
way toward the swing, carrying with her to her only a few minutes, Katie's half-hour
everything that she thought was needed to of reading was over. She turned to hunt
help her to spend a pleasant morning- for her grandmother's knitting-pins which
namely, a new picture book, her little black had fallen. When this was done she sat
kitten Topsy, and a wee Japanese parasol; down to amuse herself, but soon her moth-
for, with the perversity of children, she er's voice was heard calling to her to come
preferred taking the trouble of holding up and take care of baby, and Katie left the
her sunshade to wearing a hat. room.
The swing had been placed in a warm but "Now," said Fairy Workall to Cora,
sheltered position between two tall oak you see how useful your friend is in ways
trees, and Cora spent some time in swing- that you would never think of, and how
ing most pleasantly, while Topsy, quite ac- helpful. I have not time to stay here any
customer to her little mistress' queer pro- longer, but we will go somewhere else,"
ceedings, sat composedly upon her shoulder, and off they flew.
Presently Cora slipped down from the Some time passed, and once again the
swing, and lay on the grass, lazily turning fairy told Cora to be watchful. "For," said
over the leaves of her book, when suddenly she, "we are now in Manchester, and you
a tiny sharp voice at her side said : must notice what I show you;" and in
Dear me, what a useless little girl you a moment the child and her companion
are! found themselves in one of the immense
Cora, much surprised, turned round, and factories of that town, and Cora was quite
beheld, seated upon a blade of grass, a most deafened by the noise of the great ma-
lovely little lady dressed in white gossamer. chines which whirled, and turned, and
She held a wand tipped with one large dia- stamped, while pale-faced workers passed
mond in her hand, and a glittering star with before them in another part of the build-
a wreath of forget-me-nots on her bright ing, and children were engaged in piecing
hair. She was too much astonished to say and sorting the cotton and wool employed
anything for a few moments, until the fairy in the factory
(for a fairy she certainly was) repeated her Now," said the fairy, see these chil-
words, and then Cora answered quickly : dren, how hard they work. On pay-day
"Indeed, I'm not one bit more useless they will take home their earnings, and as
than Katie, or Minnie, or any other little these are large, you may suppose that they
girl I know of." are a great help to their fathers and moth-
Katie, indeed said the fairy, with a ers. But we must go on-let us be off."
little angry whisk of her wand. "Why, And as they used their utmost speed, they

OUR BABIES. 45

soon reached a quaint, flat-looking country, MAKE YOUR MARK.
with dykes and canals, and queer, neat T N the quarries should you toil,
houses; and Cora knew she must be in Make your mark;
Holland, and wondered what a short time Do you delve upon the soil,
they had taken to arrive there. But Fairy In waver athu go,
Workall did not allow her many moments In whatever place you stand,
for considering before she placed her in a Moving swift or moving slow,
large room where many children and girls With a firm and honest hand,
were working, and Cora saw in one place Make your mark.
dolls' heads, arms and legs being cast in wax Should opponents hedge your way,
and hardened; in another they were being Make your mark;
fitted on to bodies ; in another spot they Work by night, or work by day,
Make your mark;
were colored, and wigs of brown or golden Struggle manfully and well,
hair stuck on to their bald heads, while to Let no obstacles oppose ;
some imperishable boots were painted on. None, right-shielded, ever fell
When dry, the dolls were taken to another By the weapons of his foes -
room to be dressed. In other workrooms Make your mark.
of this great warehouse donkeys, balls, and What though born a peasant's son;
a great variety of toys were being made. Make your mark;
"Oh, fairy," said Cora, "you need not Good by poor men can be done;
Se y m I k Make your mark;
show me any more. I know what you Peasants' garbs may warm the cold,
mean-every one is working and useful ex- Peasants' words may calm a fear;
cept myself ; but, indeed, I will try in Better far than hoarding gold
future to be a help to some one; and she Is the drying of a tear;
burst into tears. Make your mark.
Why, dear, how long you have slept Life is fleeting as a shade;
Do you not want any dinner ?" Make your mark;
Cora opened her eyes, and there was Miss Marks of somk markust be made;
Hay, her governess, bending over her, with Make it while the arm is strong,
Topsy sitting, purring, on her shoulder. In the golden hours of youth;
"Oh, Miss Hay, I have been on such a Never, never make it wrong;
wonderful journey she cried; "to Man- Make it with the stamp of truth
chester and Holland, and other places be-
sides." MANNERS BETWEEN BOYS.
"Dear child, you must have been dream-
ing, and mixed up the stories auntie was T HERE is a good deal of rudeness be-
telling you last night, and your last geog- tween boys in their intercourse and
raphy lesson together," said Miss Hay. bearing with one another, that is not really
But Cora shook her head, and endeav- intended as such; but is not therefore any
ored ever afterward to act upon the fairy's the less to be disapproved. It is often sim-
suggestion and try to help others. Between ply the overflow of excessive high spirits.
ourselves she has succeeded very well, and But the very best good humor, unrestrained
to this day she scarcely believes that strange by proper bounds and limitations, may be-
journey was all a dream, come the most positive incivility. We often
apologize for the coarseness of people by
saying, "He means well." It is well we
can make such an apology for them, for if
SOLITUDE. their rudeness is really intentional they are
T HERE is a pleasure in the pathless woods, not fit to be received into any worthy per-
There is a rapture on the lonely shore, son's society. But they who mean well
There is society where none intrudes, should also do well, and the ways of polite-
By the deep sea, and music in its roar. ness are never so easily learned as in youth.
I love not man the less, but nature more, The boy who is habitually coarse and rude
From these our interviews in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before, in his bearing toward other boys will be
To mingle with the universe, and feel such as a man toward men, and all his life
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal, will never gain the reputation of being a
-Byron. gentleman.

46 OUR BABIES.

FREDDIE AND THE CHERRY TREE.

F REDDIE saw some fine ripe cherries Thank you kindly," said a cherry;
Hanging on a cherry tree; "We would rather stay up here;
Ana he said, "You pretty cherries, If we ventured down this morning,
Will you not come down to me?" You would eat us up, I fear."

One, the finest of the cherries,
Dangled from a slender twig;
You are beautiful," said Freddie,
"Red and ripe, and oh, how big!"

"Catch me," said the cherry, catch me, Freddie jumped, and tried to reach it,
Little master, if you can." Standing high upon his toes;
I would catch you soon," said Freddie, But the cherry bobbed about,
"If I were a grown-up man." And laughed, and tickled Freddie's nose

Never mind," said little Freddie;
I shall have it when'its right:"
But a blackbird whistled boldly,
"I shall eat them all to-night."

OUR BABIES. 47

COMING IN FROM A SAIL.

48 OUR BABIES.

NEIGHBOR JONES. be godfather." On awakening he deter-
'M thinking, wife, of neighbor Jones, the man with mined to follow the advice given in his
the stalwart arm- dream, and dressing himself quickly he
He lives in peace and plenty on his forty-acre farm. went out. Near his door he met a man,
When men are all around us, with hearts and hands and immediately asked him to be sponsor
a-sore,
Who own two hundred acres and still are wanting for his child.
more. The stranger, before giving his consent,
presented the man with a glass, and said,
He has a pretty little farm-a pretty little house; This is a most wonderful glass. The water
He has a loving wife within, as quiet as a mouse;
His children play around the door, their father's heart with which you fill it has the power of cur-
to charm, ing sick persons ; you have only to observe
Looking just as neat and tidy as the tidy little farm. where death stands. If he stands by the
No weeds are in the cornfield, no thistles in the oats, head of the sick person, then give him the
The horses show good keeping by their fine and water, and he will be soon well; but if he
glossy coats; stands by the feet, all your trouble will be
The cows within the meadow, resting neathh the useless, the sick person must die."
beechen shade, So the stranger became sponsor for his
Learn all their gentle manners from a gentle milking ch d e o te fathe the wonerf
maid. child, and gave to the father the wonderful
goblet, which endowed the water he put
Within the field on Saturday he leaves no cradled into it with such healing qualities. Besides
grain, this, he could always tell whether the sick
To be gathered on the morrow for fear of coming person would recover or not, and could
rain;
He lives in joy and gladness, and happy are his days; therefore speak confidently about curing
"e keeps the Sabbath holy-his children learn his him; by this he made a great deal of money,
ways. and his fame spread far and wide. Even
the king sent for him, when one of his
He never had a lawsuit to take him to the town, he k ing sent fr hi, hen one of s
For the simple reason there are no fences down; children was ill; but as the wonderful doc-
The bar-room in the village does not have for him a tor entered, he saw death standing at the
charm; head of the bed, and knew that the child
I can always find my neighbor on his forty-acre farm. would recover after drinking the water in
His acres are so few he plows them very deep, the magic glass; and so he did. The sec-
'Tis his own hands that turn the sod, 'tis his own ond timele was sent for, the same occurred;
hands that reap; but on hiT third visit the doctor saw death
He has a place for everything and everything in its seated at the foot of the bed, and he told the
place; parents that the child must die. After a
The sunshine smiles on his fields, contentment on his pare th e chd m t de. Ater a
face. while this doctor became curious, and
thought he should like to see where his
May we learn a lesson, wife, from prudent neighbor child's godfather, who had given him such
Jones, a valuable present, lived, and tell him how
And not sigh for what we haven't got-give, vent to he was getting on. But when he reached
sighs and groans ?
The rich ain't always happy, nor free from life's the house the domestic arrangements quite
alarms- startled him. On the first step a mop and a
Blest are those who live content, though small may broom were quarreling together and fight-
be their farms. ing furiously. "Where shall I find the
master of this house?" he asked.
THE WONDERFUL GLASS. "A step higher," answered the broom.
But when he arrived on the second step,
A MAN once had so many children that he saw a number of dead fingers lying to-
all his friends had been asked to be- gether, and he inquired again, "Where is
come sponsors, so when another child was the master?"
born he had no one to ask, and he knew not "A step higher," replied one of the fin-
what to do. gers.
One night when he had laid himself down On the third step lay a heap of human
to sleep in great trouble, he had a wonder- heads, who directed him to go a step higher.
ful dream. He dreamed that a voice said to On the fourth step he saw a fish frizzling in
him, Go out early to-morrow morning, the pan, and cooking itself. It spoke to
and the first person you meet, ask him to the man and told him to go a step higher.

OUR BABIES. 49

On he went, and at last, on the fifth step So, while he, waiting in the valley, walks,
he came upon the door of a room, and peep- His happy thoughts o'erleap his feeble frame,
ing through the key-hole, saw the godfather, And of the future he with rapture talks,
ing through the key-hole, saw the godfather, Or lives in memory the past again.
and to his surprise, he had large horns; but
as soon as he opened the door and went in His work is done. And, resting from his toil,
the strange man with the horns rushed After the labors of his lengthened days,
away suddenly, laid himself on the bed, and He, listening calmly, waits His voice to call
Whose name he ever breathes with highest praise;
drew the clothes over him. Then said the Ever loyal to God, to right and truth,
man, What is the meaning of this strange For the past no regrets, the future no fears,
management in your house, good sir? On We find in his life the warm heart of youth,
the steps I met with all sorts of strange Guided, as blessed, by the wisdom of years.
things, and was told to go up higher; and -E. 0. G.
when I came to the door of this room, I WEATHER WISDOM.
peeped through the key-hole and saw you
with a pair of horns on your head." ERE are some proverbs and sayings
That is not true," cried the pretended about the weather, common in differ-
godfather, in such a terrible voice that the ent parts of the country. The truth of
man, in a fright, turned to run away; but most of them has been tested by observa-
no one knows what has become of him, for tions extending over many years:
lie has never been heard of since.-Grimm. If red the sun begins his race,
Expect that rain will fall apace."
The evening red, the morning gray,
Are certain signs of a fair day."
THE GOOD OLD MAN.
"When seabirds fly out early and far to
E know a man of more than four score years, seaward, moderate winds and fair weather
For half a century have known him well, may be expected."
So downright good, his life to us appears,
We'll strive in vain his virtues to excel; "A dark glowing sky is windy, but a light,
Those faults we always in our neighbors see, bright, blue sky indicates fine weather."
And may, perchance, some few ourselves possess,
His spotless life has been from all so free, "When clouds appear like rocks and towers,
We wish, as him, the Lord ourselves would bless. The earth's refreshed by frequent showers."
He never caused a single tear to flow, If- larks fly high and sing long, expect
Except in gratitude for kindly word fine weather."
Or nobler deed, his heart impelled him to,
And if angels' whispers are ever heard, LEARNING
As in our ears they breathe what we should do, LEA.
Others to happy make, ourselves to be, EAR your learning, like your watch,
They find in him a man so kind and true, in a private pocket, and do not pull
They must delight to keep him company. it out merely to show that you have one.
He never boasts of any good he's done, If you are asked what o'clock it is, tell it,
But lofty impulse, blossoming in deeds, but do not proclaim it hourly and unasked,
Has dropped in blessings on many a one like the watchman.-Lord Chesterfield.
Who never knew the hand that met their needs.
Constantly, these long years, his thoughts have been
Slowly molding his kind and sunny face, WHY GRACE OBJECTED.
Till you can almost see the soul within
Lighting his features with its hallowed grace. THAT, all going out?" said little Grace,
VV In a most injured tone,
With eyes so dim that he can hardly trace I think it's just an awful shame
The nearest objects, yet he well can see, To leave me here alone."
By hope and memory's light, many a face
Whose presence is unknown to you and me; "Why, dear, you're not alone," I said,
His ear so dull that he can hardly hear As the tears began to flow;
The usual converse of our kind, "Your nurse will stay at home with you,
Yet hears the voices of loved ones dear And I thought you loved her so."
Who left him, many years ago, behind.
"I do love Hannah," said the child,
As long upon some snowy mountain crest With much deliberation,
The setting sun will cast its lingering ray, But, after all, you know, mamma,
While in the vale the bird has sought its nest, She's not a blood relation."
And toil is resting at the close of day, Wide Awake.

50 OUR BABIES.

CHRISTMAS.

H OW did they keep His birthday then, But only the wise men knelt and praised,
The little fair Christ, so long ago? And only the shepherds came to see;
Oh, many there were to be housed and fed, And the rest of the world cared not at all
And there was no place in the inn, they said, For the little Christ in the oxen's stall;
So into the manger the Christ must go, And we are angry and amazed
To lodge with the cattle, and not with men. That such a dull, hard thing should be!
The ox and the ass they munched their hay, How do we keep His birthday now?
They munched and they slumbered, wondering not, We ring the bells and we raise the strain,
And out in the midnight cold and blue We hang up garlands everywhere
The shepherds slept and the sheep slept too, And bid the tapers twinkle fair,
Till the angels' song and the bright star ray And feast and frolic-and then we go
Guided the wise men to the spot. Back to the same old lives again.

OUR BABIES. 51

Estber, the Little Housewife.
-t-4-

/HAT has this little woman been doing, Doing the work in the kitchen,
So long since fhe morning begun? Just what it happens to be.
I don't believe she can remember Covering books from the school-room,-
One-half of the work she has done. Ready for callers at three.

Dressing the dear little baby, Mending and making and chatting,
Combing his soft silken hair, Two or three children to teach,
Putting him back in the cradle, If not the primer's first lesson,
To sleep and grow healthy and fair. Methods no others can preach.

That's what this dear woman's been doing,
Day after day 'tis the same;
Angels, oh, watch and defend her,
"Dear Esther"-for that is her name.

52 OUR BABIES.

WHEN A DEED IS DONE. "Trust. For ye will trust the wisdom of
W HEN a deed is done for freedom, the command ye may not understand, if ye
Through the broad earth's aching breast do trust him who giveth the commandment.
Runs a thrill of joy prophetic, While trust is the first step, action is the
Trembling on from east to west, f d m e
And the slave, where'er he cowers, second; for doing must ever follow believ-
Feels the soul within him climb ing "
To the awful verge of manhood, "We trust thee! We would obey thee
Of a teny,urt fl-blossomed we would begin to act did we but know how
On the thorny stem of time! to do so. We can do no more than catch
-J. R. Lowell. the floating atoms in the sea, and knead
them together to make coverings for our
A STORY FOR LITTLE LABORERS. own heads. A grain of sand is too weighty
D OWN below the sea, in the cold dark for us. And how then can we build thee an
depths where fish and sea-flowers will island? "
not live, a large nation of tiny beings (I do Commence threat Do this, if it be all
not strictly name them fairies) once found that ye can do Show me your will. I
themselves cast away, without homes or know well all that is possible for you And
means of support. They wandered about from that will I be served if ye will indeed
looking very desolate and hopeless, not very obey me !"
well knowing what to do. Then their mas- We are indeed willing, oh, our master! "
ter said to them: "Then work together; for union is
"Time, and the sea-waves and winds are strength. Build as ye best can, and what
wearing away the sharp outlines of my ye best can, for a thousand years; then will
island property. I would not lose too much I come again, and behold your labors and
thereof. I love not smooth rounded figures judge them!"
nor flat designs. For the service you owe The master went, but a smothered wail
me, your king; for the food ana shelter you seemed to follow him. "A thousand years!
gain from the ocean, repair the wrong he too much-too long!"
has done to me, and build up for me new Nevertheless they set themselves to work,
islands-bold and fresh each one saying to his neighbor: It is easy
"We build up more islands ?-We?- to begin! Let us do what little we can!
we?" echoed myriads of little astonished If we do it according to his will it will
tones. "Why wouldst thou mock us? please him. We do know how to build shel-
Thou art great, and canst know and do all ter for our heads and those of our children;
things Thou mightst have known that let us then do that! It may be the master's
task to be beyond our power! We are meaning will be revealed more fully to us
small as the grains of sand, and we lie hereafter, and that he only awaits our will!"
where the sands lie, far, far below the face Yet from the midst of them often came a cry,
of the water that smiles upwards on the Yet a thousand years are long!"
islands How can we build so high from Yet as they wrought at their little tasks,
such deep foundation? And wherewithal behold a vast space was taken up with their
shall we build? Verily thou art a hard habitations, and the circumference of their
taskmaster!" city was great. Then came unto them the
And the master said patiently to them : comfort of united numbers, for the result of
Have ye ever heard me ask from any one labor was made clear unto their eyes. And
an unreasonable service? Have ye ever the wailing voice was nearly hushed, and
had cause hitherto to distrust me or my the cheering voices grew more strong, as
will?" they repeated: A thousand years are long,
And they answered, "Nay! and the sea is deep; but there are many of
"Then why will ye not obey me in this us, and the labor is not greater than we can
matter?" bear. A day's task is no more than one
"We indeed are willing to obey, but we day can fulfill. We have each built one
see no way." chamber. Let us build a second. It will
"Which is the first step in perfect obe- please the master! "
dience ?" And they did build, and added story unto
They were all silent, and the master said : story, until one cried: "How high and

OUR BABIES. 53

broad becomes the fruit of our labor! It new friends that came to visit them, and to
seemeth a fit foundation for noble things! abide with them, that had feared to venture
Then the voice that had hushed its wail- after them down into the hollows of the
ing cried: Iam aweary of this sameness; deep dark sea. And bright shells they found
I will form patterns in my work, like the to adorn their homes; and jewels, and gold,
forms of the sea-flowers! And the others and precious hangings from the upper earth
admired as he labored, and thereafter imi- floated down unto them, and adorned them.
tated him. And nearer and nearer their rising labors
Then one cried with delight: "How fast bore them to the upper world, from which
and fair our labors rise! Can any one tell they heard strange sounds of joy and fear,
me how long it is since the beginning?" with which they might not intermeddle;
And one answered: "I have counted the but wondered therefore if they were near
moons as they came and went, and I have the end of their task. For they had begun
reckoned a hundred years !" to long for rest; for they were very near
And they echoed: "A hundred years al- the surface of the sea; so near that the hot
ready? Then a thousand years seem naught sun scorched their delicate bodies as they
so dreadful !" And another said: "Yet the wrought, and his glare nearly blinded their
sea is very deep and we are very small !" unaccustomed eyes.
"Nay! we are large enough to fill the place Yet, ere they had fully reckoned them,
he gave us. Since we have been guided the master was among them, and he said:
hitherto, we need not now despair We The second thousand years have fled. Ye
have seen of the fruit of our work, and we have wrought well! Ye have formed me
are satisfied." an island as I desired! I thank you!"
And years still came and fled, and saw the "But, O sire! we have not built it yet
busy workmen at their toil. Many had fol- above the sea; and we faint with heat, and
lowed the course of nature and had died, but can rise no higher! Neither have we trees,
new beings were born to fill their places, and with fruits and flowers, to crown it, like
the tradition of the master's visit and his other islands!"
words had been handed down to them. "Did not I say, I set no burden on any
So on! on on and the thousand years one he cannot bear? Ye have done what ye
had fled, and the master came again, could, and all that I wished. Retire aside
"You have done well. I thank you !" for a space, and behold how I finish your
"Nay, master, but this is no island Our labors according to my design! "
city is loose and soft, and it is far away from And they moved aside, and a great earth-
the surface of the sea! quake came and shook their building from
But the master checked them and said: its very foundations, and they deemed it
"I never asked you for a miracle, or to do was all destroyed at a blow. And the sea
aught beyond the small measure of strength tossed wildly hither and thither, and washed
that I have given you for mine own service, them about in its gurgling currents, and
Behold, have not I fixed your foundations they were blinded and stunned for awhile,
and upheld your walls ? And will not I com- but their last thought was, "The sea will
plete mine own work? Labor, as ye have wash away what the earthquake has
done, for another thousand years, and when spared! "
I come again to you I will set you free, and But when all things grew calm again,
ye may rest!" they looked, and, behold! the earthquake
And their experience of their master's wis- had heaved up their palace high, and it
dom and will silenced all murmur from their stood firm, with its pinnacles white and
hearts, and their lips were silent. And glim- clear above the waters; and they were glad,
mering through the deep green mass of and wondered at its new beauty. Then
waters overhead came beams of broken dust-laden winds came whirling from dis-
sunlight; and at night, when the washing tant lands, and soiled its marble pureness,
of the tide was low and still, they some- and the sea-billows washed sand over it,
times caught the moon's kind smile, and and fragments of wreck, and seaweed; and
their hearts rejoiced. For very sweet does they mourned its sullied beauty.
that smile seem unto all dwellers in the sea But the rain from heaven fell, and kneaded
And our little friends felt happier far amid the dust and timber and seaweed and Land
these pleasant lights, and with the pleasant together into a rich soil.

54 OUR BABIES.

t

HOTEL DES INVALIDES.

PARIS can boast of few more beautiful buildings than this, which is the home of the poor and infirm
soldiers of France. It was founded by Louis XIV. Here, beneath the dome, the dust of the Emperor
Napoleon rests.
_- -- : -_- _.; .-: _ __
:: -' :%I._ .-: -.--
----:- -=i:----: :-
. __ __ [-

i-:_-l -- = -2 _:-- -/ -:-- -- --. .

OUR BABIES. 55

5-4

CHRISTMAS CAROL.
T HERE'S a song in the air! In the light of that star
There's a star in the sky! Lie the ages impearled;
There's a mother's deep prayer, And that song from afar
And a baby's low cry! Has swept over the world.
And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing, Every hearth is aflame, and the beautiful sing
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a king. In the homes of the nations that Jesus is king.

56 OUR BABIES.

"O, SET US FREE." striped stick-candy ripen always just in
M t, e a i time for Santa Claus' peddler wagon, with
F Whe wout, whe re a nis trong his reindeer team, "and his little, round
Where comfort turns to trouble; stomach that shakes, when he laughs, like
Where just men suffer wrong; a bowl full of jelly." Pineapples and figs
Where sorrow treads on joy; grow spontaneously on thistle bushes,
Where sweet things soonest cloy; everywhere from Fargo to Grand Forks,
Where faiths are built on dust;
Where love is half mistrust, while "huckleberries" flourish all the year
Hungry and barren and sharp as the sea, round at Pembina, and lounsberries bear
0, set us free! abundantly and of large size and flavor
-Matthew Arnold. about Bismarck and Mandan. Spring roses
blossom on the plain, gentle Annie, for New
SIMPLE, CHILDLIKE FAITH. Year's posies, and potatoes grow as big as.
beer-kegs on all the cottonwood trees. Cab-
UT is it not to be lamented that we bage-heads of senatorial size give forth the
are so wavering and weak in faith ? fragrance of the jessamine and honeysuckle
Christ giveth Himself to us with all that he to humming-birds as large as canvas-back
is and hath. He nameth us His brothers ducks, and clad in all the prismatic glories.
and co-heirs; yet, nevertheless, we are in of the aurora borealis. We hatch our own
time of necessity affrighted, and do fly from wild geese, of such dimensions that they
Him when we have most need of His help are taken for winged hippopotami, on lakes.
and comfort. The little children do stand of never-freezing rosewater and cologne.
on the best terms with God Almighty con- Blizzards, tempests, tornadoes, hurricanes,
cerning their lives and faith. We, the dot- and rascally political breezes come to this
ing fools, do torment ourselves and have modern Eden only as dimly-understood
sorrow of heart with our disputings touch- wailings of distant regions and peoples,
ing the world. But the children with sim- who do not know enough to find their way
ple, pure faith do hold the same to be cer- to the sole remaining quarter-section of
tain and true, without any doubtings.- Paradise in all the western world. Here
Martin Luther. no wave of trouble ever rolls across the
peaceful breast, and the prosperous people
THE PROMISED LAND. who raise, infallibly, twenty-five bushels of
No. i Hard to the acre of land that costs.
ERE is a humorous description of the them nothing, and get $1.35 a bushel for it,
"Promised Land" up in the Red can calmly smile at Satan's rage, and face a_
River valley, Dakota: frowning, because less fortunate, world.
Here no storms or tempests ever blow. Dakotans, Red River Valleyans, Fargo-
All the breezes are trained to sing psalm ans, sympathize deeply and tenderly with
tunes in pianissimo style. Our wildest the storm-swept, bleeding, and desolate
blizzards are used by gentle mothers to ones of Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Mis-
lull their babies to sleep. The sun shines souri, and with the drought-beggared ones.
ever with a mellow splendor that calls to of Illinois and Indiana; and, had they the
mind the far-famed "Happy Valley" of power, would never permit hurricanes or
Rasselas, and there is just frost enough the summer furnace-heats to smite the
to turn the elm leaves golden. No summer hopeless sufferers more. But as storms.
drouths or winter floods spread devastation and drouths will come to those unlucky
over the fields and hopes of the husband- regions, and all the sympathy of Dakota
man. No army worms or grasshoppers and her people cannot help it, she holds
sweep these fertile plains and valleys with out her arms to the stricken ones, and bids
nibbling desolation. No hail-storms rattle them come and be welcome, come and be
their destroying musketry upon the grains safe, come and be prosperous and happy,
and fruits and plate-glass window-panes where there are no storms, no clouds, no
of this elysium, except now and then, just sorrows, and no fears and where the gar-
enough to furnish business to the Fargo den-spot of the world is to be had at a bit
Hail Insurance company. Bananas bloom an acre, and where one long, perpetual,
in November, and young oranges are dug blissful springtime and harvest-time lasts.
the day before Christmas. Raisins and all the year.-Fargo "Argus."

OUR BABIES. 57

ALFRED TENNYSON AT HOME. racy, absolutely natural, and sincere; and
how gladly do we listen to his delightful
TENNYSON works alone in the early stories, full of old humors and knowledge
hours of the morning, and comes down of men and women, or to his graver talk!
long after his own frugal meal is over to When a man has read so much and thought
find his guests assembling round the social so much, it is an epitome of the knowledge
breakfast table. He generally goes out for a of to-day we find in him, touched by the
walk before luncheon, with a son and a solemn strain of the poet's own gift. I
friend, perhaps, and followed by a couple once heard Mr. Tennyson talking to some
of dogs. All Londoners know the look of actors, to no less a person indeed than to
the stalwart figure and the fine face and Hamlet himself, for after the curtain fell the
broad-brimmed felt hat as he advances, whole play seemed to flow from off the
There is one little ceremony peculiar to stage into the box where we had been sit-
the Tennyson family, and reminding one of ting, and I could scarcely tell at last where
some college custom, which is that when reality began and. Shakspeare ended. The
dinner is over the guests are brought away play was over, and we'ourselves seemed a
into a second room, where stands a white part of it still; here were the players, and
table, upon which fruit and wine are set, our own prince poet, in that familiar simple
and a fire burns bright, and a pleasant hour voice we all know, explaining the art, going
passes, while the master of the house sits in straight to the point in his own downright
his carved chair and discourses upon any fashion, criticising with delicate apprecia-
topic suggested by his guests, or brings tion, by the simple force of truth and con-
forth reminiscences of early Lincolnshire viction carrying all before him. You are
days, or from the facts he remembers out of a good actor lost," one of these real actors
the lives of past men who have been his said to him.
friends. There was Rogers, among the It is a gain to the world when people are
rest, for whom he had a great affection, content to be themselves, not chipped to
with whom he constantly lived during that the smooth pattern of the times, but simple,
lonely time in London. I have dined original, and unaffected in ways and words.
alone with him," I heard Mr. Tennyson say; Here is a poet leading a poet's life; where
"and we have talked about death till the he goes, there goes the spirit of his home,
tears rolled down his face." whether in London among the crowds, or
Tennyson met Tom Moore at Rogers's, at Aldworth on the lonely height, or at Far-
and there, too, he first met Mr. Gladstone. ringford in that beautiful bay.
John Forster, Leigh Hunt, and Landor were
also friends of that time. One of Tenny- THE FIRST MAY NIGHT.
son's often companions in those days was, m m o t
Mr. Hallam, whose opinion he once asked C OME, merry month of the cuckoo and the violet
Mr. Hallam, whose opinion he once asked Come, weeping loveliness in all thy blue delight?
of Carlyle's French Revolution. Mr. Hal- Lo! the nest is ready, let me not languish longer!
lam replied in his quick, rapid way, Upon Bring her to my arms on the first May night!
my word, I once opened the book, and -George Meredith.
read four or five pages. The style is so
abominable I could not get on with it." THE TRUE GENTLEMAN.
Whereas Carlyle's own criticism upon the 7 HAT fact more conspicuous in mod-
History of the Middle Ages was, Eh! the V ern history than the creation of the
poor, miserable skeleton of a book!" gentleman? Chivalry is that, and loyalty
Was it not Charles Lamb who wanted to is that. The word gentleman, which, like
return grace after reading Shakspeare, little the word Christian, must hereafter charac-
deeming in humble simplicity that many of terize the present and the few preceding
us yet to come would be glad to return centuries by the importance attached to it,,
thanks for a jest of Charles Lamb's? The is a homage to personal and incommunica-
difference between those who speak with ble properties. An element which unites
natural reality, and those who go through persons of every country; makes them
life fitting their second-hand ideas to other intelligible and agreeable to each other,
people's words, is one so marked that even and is somewhat so precise that it is at
a child may tell the difference. When the once felt if an individual lack the masonic
Laureate speaks, every word comes wise, sign.

58 OUR BABIES.

AS PRETTY AS GRANDMAMMA!

HERE was to be a children's party at Moorland Hill, and Ruth thought it would be such a joke to dress
I Flossie up like the picture of grandmamma which hangs in the hall. When Flossie was dressed, every-
body thought she looked as pretty as grandmamma. Yes, and prettier too," said grandmamma.

OUR BABIES. 59

WILLIE WAS CAUGHT AT LAST.
They had had such a merry party, and Willie had caught nearly every girl in the room; Ethel and Nettie
and Florence and Maud. But at last, Ettie Hamilton fairly caught him, and when the girls cried, Who is it ?"
" Why its Willie Wilson, to be sure," she said. All right," said Willie ; now you've caught me, kiss me !"
All the girls cried Shame !" but Ettie said she did'nt mind so much, so Willie got his kiss.

60 OUR BABIES.

DEEDS, NOT YEARS. SLEEPING FLOWERS.
T IS deeds, not years, that make a life ALMOST all flowers sleep during the
I Seem long upon the earth. A night. The marigold goes to bed
Be mayve till fouror years with the sun, and with him rises weeping.
But when at length he bows his head Many plants are so sensitive that they close
To nature's last great call, their leaves during the passage of a cloud.
A marble shaft will merely tell The dandelion opens at five or six in the
He lived, and that is all. morning, and shuts at nine in the evening.
Another living half that time, The goat's-beard wakes at three in the
Will fill with deeds his span; morning, and shuts at five or six in the
And tho' he dies, he still will live evening. The common daisy shuts up its
Within the hearts of man. blossom in the evening, and opens its day's
No crumbling mare e ts remind; eye" to meet the early beams of the morn-
His is a lasting monument ing sun. The crocus, tulip, and many
Of fair and noble deeds, others, close their blossoms at different
hours toward the evening. The ivy-leaved
'Twere better if we spent less time lettuce opens at eight in the morning, and
In sinful, idle scheming,
As planning some absurd career, closes forever at four in the afternoon. The
Or of a mission dreaming, night-flowering cereus turns night into day.
And more in doing kindly acts It begins to expand its magnificent, sweet-
To make life's burden lighter, scented blossoms in the twilight; it is full-
Thr the' our stay be ht inarth, blown at midnight, and closes never to
open again at the dawn of day. In a
clover-field not a leaf opens until after sun-
WHAT BOYS SHOULD BE. rise. These are the observations of a cele-
brated English author, who has devoted
F IRST: Be true-be genuine. No edu- much time to the study of plants, and often
cation is worth anything that does not watched them during their quiet slumber.
include this. A man had better not know Those plants which seem to be awake all
how to read-he had better never earn a night, he styles "the bats and owls of the
letter of the alphabet, and be true and vegetable kingdom."
genuine in intention and in action, rather
than be learned in all sciences and in all THE MITHERLESS BAIRN.
languages, to be at the same time false in HEN a' either bairnies are hushed to their hame
heart and counterfeit in lie. Above all V By auntie, or cousin, or frecky grand-dame,
things, teach the boys that truth is more Wha stands last an' lanely, an' naebody carin'?
than riches, more than culture, more than 'Tis the puir doited loonie-the mitherless bairn.
earthly power or position. Second: Be The mitherless bairn gangs to his lane bed,
unselfish. To care for the feelings and com- Nane covers his cauld back or haps his bare head;
forts of others. To be polite. To be just His wee hackit heelies are hard as the aim,
in all dealings with others. To be gener- An' litheless the lair of the mitherless bairn.
ous, noble, and manly. This will include a Aneath his cauld brow siccan dreams hover there,
genuine reverence for the aged, and things 0' honds that wont kindly to kame his dark hair;
sacred. Third: Be self-reliant and self- But morning brings clutcher, a' reckless and stern,
helpful, even from early childhood. To be That loe nae the locks o' the mitherless bairn.
industrious always, and self-supporting at Yon sister, that sang o'er his saftly rocked bed,
the earliest proper age. Teach them that Now rests in the mools where her mamma is laid;.
all honest work is honorable, and that an The father toils sair their wee bannock to earn,
idle, useless life of dependence on othersat An' kens na the wrangs o' his mitherless bairn.
idle, useless life of dependence on others
is disgraceful. When a boy has learned Her spirit that passed in yon hour o' his birth
these three things, when he has made these Still watches his wearisome wanderings on earth,
Recording in heaven the blessings they earn
ideas a part of his being--however young Wha couthilie deal wi' the mitherless bairn.
he may be, however poor, or however rich-
he has learned some of the most important Oh speak na him harshly-he trembles the while,
things he ought to know when he becomes He bends to your bidding an' blesses your smile:
things he ought to know when he becomes ir dark hour o' anguish the heartless shall learn
a man. With these three properly mastered That God deals the blow for the mitherless bairn!
it will be easy to find all the rest. --William Thor.

OUR BABIES. 61

MIRROR LAKE. to describe them as an irregular race, but
AFERN looked in the glassy lake, this is by no means correct. It is true they
And discontented grew, do not often perform the ostentatious Ma-
Because she was not fair and bright, hometan ceremonial worship, but I have
With leaves of red or blue. frequently seen our Arab guides grow silent
An evening primrose heard her sigh, and contemplative toward sunset as they
And leaned her brilliant head walked along with their camels, and on rid-
Until it drooped against the fern, ing up to them have overheard the follow-
And then she softly said:
ing simple prayer: Oh, Lord, be gracious
Ah, were it not for you, dear fern, unto us! In all that we hear or see, in all
I long since would have died, that we say or do, be gracious unto us!
For many a day in your dark shade, Have mercy upon our friends who have
My weary head I hide. Have mercy upon ur friends who have
passed away before us. I ask pardon of the
Your dark green leaves so cool and moist, Great God. I ask pardon at the sunset,
Have wooed me many an hour, when every sinner turns to Him. Now and
And oh, I love you better far
Than any bright-hued flower." forever, I ask pardon of God. Oh, Lord,
cover us from our sins, guard our children
The fern looked up and smiled again, and protect our weaker friends!"
And learned the lesson true,
We are not judged by looks alone, At sunrise they say: I seek refuge with
But by the things we do. the Great God from Satan accursed with
-Fannie Isabelle Sherrick. stones. Deliver me from evil, provide for me
and my brethren the faithful. Oh, Lord, be
gracious unto us! for a people that prospers
BURIAL RITES OF THE ARABS, AND is better than a people that strives. Oh,
THEIR RELIGION. Lord, provide for me, thou who provides
W HEN a Bedouin dies the corpse is even for the blind hyena! Before sleep the
taken at once out of the tent to a Bedouin says: I lay down my head to rest,
convenient place, washed and shrouded. A and the Lord is my security against remote
bag containing a little corn (called a sheha- evil, and against present harm." They pre-
deh) is placed beside it, and it is immediately face every prayer with the words: "I desire
buried. As soon as it is placed in the grave to pray, and I seek guidance from God; for
the friends of the deceased beat upon the good and pure prayers come from God
ground with a stick, recite the Fatehah, and alone. Peace be unto our Lord Abraham
cry out: "Oh, Thou most compassionate! and our Lord Mohammed."
have mercy upon us, Oh, gracious God They believe that when a man rises up
They then tap with a small pickax at the from sleep in the morning, the spirit of God
head of the grave, and address the deceased sits upon his right shoulder, and the devil
in these words: "When the twain Green on his left. A Suri Arab on waking in-
Angels shall question and examine thee, variably repeats the exorcising formula: I
say, The feaster makes merry, the wolf seek refuge in God from Satan accursed
prowls, and man's lot is still the same, but with stones." sprinkling himself with water
I have done with all these things. The side- as he utters the words. Without this pre-
tree is thy aunt, and the palm tree thy caution they believe that the good spirit
mother." Each one then, throws a little would take flight, and the evil one remain
earth into the grave, exclaiming, as-he does with them throughout the day. At sunset
so, God have mercy upon thee," and the the same ceremony is repeated.
party adjourns to a feast in the tents of the
deceased. Another entertainment is given
in honor of his memory after the lapse of A STEADFAST CHARACTER.
four months. When a death occurs in an IVE us a character on which we can
encampment, the women of the family at thoroughly depend, which we are sure
once go outside the tents, and, taking off will not fail us in time of need, which we
their head-dresses, commence a loud and know to be based on principle and on the
impassioned wailing, which they continue fear of God, and it is wonderful how many
throughout the day. brilliant and popular and splendid qualities
It has been the fashion with people who we can safely and gladly dispense with.-
do not understand the Bedouin character, Dean Stanley.

62 OUR BABIES.

1-\

MYRA'S DEAD PET.
F you think little people have no real heart-troubles, you should have seen Myra that morning when Charlie
brought her dear little canary, cold, and stiff, and dead. It had been poisoned by some herb that had been
put into its cage by mistake. And now it will never sing again, and Myra is heart-broken.

OUR BABIES. 63

SCHEVOUS IM AND SORROWFUL RUTH.

MISCHIEVOUS JIM AND SORROWFUL RUTH.

64 OUR BABIES.

MVIISCHIEVOUS JIM AND SORROWFUL "Is it very bad, mamma?" asked Christie.
RUTH. But Mrs. Spencer told her not to be
frightened, for Tom was only trying to
POOR little Ruth! She often says that tease. I think the little girl's mother
S" Some of these days Jim will just break ought to have told her the whole truth.
her heart, so he will!" She is as gentle as Don't you?
the flowers that blossom at her feet, and What a nice place that dentist's office
as timid as the young fawns that gambol was! There was a splendid great chair
in the meadows. And Jim! Oh! well, if with a head-rest, and a pretty bowl beside
you knew Jim well you would just love it. There was a stand all full of funny
him. But he wants knowing well. There little tools that Christie thought would be
is not a greater tease in all New York grand to play with.
State than our Jim. He teases every liv- What a pleasant man Doctor Snow was!
ing thing; he teases everybody, and when He lifted her into the great chair, and asked
there's nobody else to tease, I believe he so kindly which tooth had ached. Then he
tries to tease himself. He says he can't took one of the little tools in his hand.
help it; he thinks it's because his hair is so And then such a straining, and tugging, and
curly that he is obliged to "cut up" as he wrenching, and breaking.
,does. He has just coaxed Ruth out for a Christie didn't know that she screamed,
walk on the promise that he would be but mamma told her afterward that her
very good, though he says he's almost cries were frightful to hear. She only
afraid that if he grows much better he will knew that she put both hands up to see if
be mistaken for an angel. He has just her head was still in place, before she
.distressed Ruth by rushing down into the bounded out of the chair.
brook, and now he threatens he will go "You are just as mean as you can be, and
right across if he gets drowned. He tells I'll never come here again as long as I live!
her she can give all his marbles and his So there!" she cried.
jack-knife to Joe Rogers, if he should hap- In an instant she was in mamma's arms.
pen to drown. He carries this on till Ruth She was told, between tears and kisses, that
is on the point of crying, and then he it was all over. Then Mrs. Spencer took
comes back up the hill, and they go chas- from a paper a lovely new wax doll. In a
ing the butterflies and gathering wild flow- little while Christie was as smiling and
ers, and Ruth forgets all her sorrows in happy as ever.
their merry sports.--Emo. Now, dear," said mamma, as they started
for home, "you run back and tell Doctor
HISTORY OF A TOOTh. Snow you are sorry for being so naughty,
and ask him to forgive you."
IT was a very troublesome tooth. Not a Back into the office went Christie.
bit of anything sweet could Christie "Please, Mr. Dentist, if you're sorry for
-eat without making it ache. I cannot tell being so naughty, I'll forgive you.'
how many hours and hours in the night it The doctor smiled and patted her head.
had kept every one awake. Christie never knew that she hadn't said it
"That child must go to the dentist to- right.
morrow," said papa, one night. After all, she wasn't a big girl! That
Christie was a little girl, not quite five very night she was rocked to sleep in mam-
years old, but she was tired of being a ma's arms.
baby. It seemed to her that since all big
girls have had teeth pulled, having a tooth THE SABBATH.
out would make her a big girl. So she
went down street beside mamma next J DO wish that all tired people did but
morning feeling very happy. know the infinite rest there is in fencing
"Hellol" called out cousin Tom, whom off the six days from the seventh-in an-
they met. "Where are you going?" choring the business ships of our daily life
I'm going to the dentist's to have a tooth as the Saturday draws to its close, leaving
pulled," replied Christie, proudly. them to ride peacefully upon the flow or the
"I wouldn't be in your shoes for any- ebb until Monday morning comes again.-
thing! added Tom. Anna Warner.

OUR BABIES. 65

WRITE SOON. istence very much, but, at last, he grew
T ONG parting from the hearts we love, weary of this state of things, and began
Will shadow o'er the brightest face; looking about him to see what other ani-
And happy they who part and prove mal he would like to become. A dog
Affection changes not with place, pleased him very much, and the next day
A sad farewell is warmly dear, he went to the witch, and was changed
But something dearer may be found, into a bloodhound. He found himself im-
To dwell on lips that are sincere, mediately claimed by a master, who was
And lurk in bosoms closely bound, not altogether kind, and what was more,
he was chained in a dog-kennel. Many
The pressing hand, the steadfast eye,
Are both less earnest than the boon, people admired him for his fine form and
Which, fervently, the last fond sigh, majestic bearing, and he was presented
Begs in the hopeful words, write soon." with a heavy silver collar. He was called
Bismarck, "after some great personage," the
Write soon! Oh, sweet request of truth! servants said; but very soon he grew weary
How tenderly its accents come!
We heard it first in early youth, of being Bismarck, and wished that he was
When mothers watched us leaving home. anyone else. But how to get to the witch
was a mystery; his chain was strong and
And still, amid the trumpet joys, heavy, and at every slight movement he
That wry uals wth pomp and show, made in the night the dogs were certain to
To hear this minor cadence flow. bark. But one day they had unchained
him to show him to some visitors, and the
We part, but carry on our way, servant who held him letting loose of his
Some loved one's plaintive spirit-tune, chain for a moment, he set off with a bound;
That, as we wander, seems to say-
Affection lives on faith-" Write soon!" their whistles, threatening, and entreaties
were useless, for Bismarck, making the best
use of his four legs, was soon out of sight.
THE FICKLE FROG. Having reached the witch's dwelling he
informed her that he was weary of his
T HERE was once a frog, who was so canine existence and would like to be
fickle that he was always wishing for changed into a certain great personage by
what he had not, and, if he obtained it, he the name of Bismarck.
was always thinking of something that he "You are very fickle," said the witch.
might have had in its stead. "Not at all," replied Bismarck, have I
At last, he discovered the existence of an not been a dog already for three days,
old witch, who was so learned in the art of Madam Witch? Do you call that fickle ? Do,
magic that she could change animals or I beg of you, change me into that Bismarck
people into whatever they chose to be. who lives far away in the German land, then
The frog, having taken it into his head I will be contented."
that he would like to be anything rather "Well," said the witch, "the magic I am
than a frog, went to the witch, and, at his going to practice upon you this time is dif-
suggestion, she changed him into an owl. ferent from that which I have before had
This the witch did by the single movement experience with; run away to the pond
of waving her wand, and the new owl flew where you used to live as a frog, go to
out of her hut thanking her as he went. sleep, and in the morning whenever you
He found himself homeless, as his frog awaken you will find the change will have
dwelling was far too small for him; and, taken place."
then, too, a creature of the air is afraid of The dog did as he was bid, looking for-
being chased by the animals who dwell ward with a great deal of pleasure to a
upon earth, noble and honored life. He reached the
He tried to persuade some of the other pond and with the night he closed his great
owls to give up their dwellings to him, but brown eyes.
finding this impossible, he began rather to Morning dawned and with the first rays
regret his dwelling near the pond, but, at of light he awakened, but not as the owl or
last, he found a vacant nest in an old beech- Bismarck, the bloodhound, much less the
tree, and there took up his abode, great German, but once again the fickle
For a few days he enjoyed his owl ex- frog.--Miss Shufeldt.

66 OUR BABIES.

BEWARE! MASTER FOX!
H O! Ho! Master Fox, you are clever, and cunning, and sly; but you had better be very careful. You
think what a delightful breakfast those fat, plump hens would make. The temptation is very great,
but you had better have a care. The old dog, Nelson, is on your track. If you are wise you will return
home with all speed, and seek a breakfast somewhere else, for if once he catches you, he will spoil that
bushy tail of yours.

": g-- --A --c" mu" "

I' u
_ __ _____. .._-_- / I -__ : .,I' ... -

i .''II

1:I

TPi
7 I' c / I1, r

T TT
_... _- _;

TED YEDN H HMINCIKTE.BOGTHM NTIMH

68 OUR BABIES.

A VISIT TO A DOLL FACTORY. Highlanders, and market women. In a
special compartment are to be seen models
N the world of toys, Dolly reigns su- in wax of single figures and groups copied
preme. She is to be found in every from well-known paintings or engravings;
home in which a little girl resides, and in and mechanical dolls which move their
her structure and dress follows pretty close- heads and imitate breathing by means of
ly the rank of her owner. As she is known clockwork. In a show-room on the next
to children in the upper classes of society, floor there is more work of this kind to be
she is a big beauty with blue eyes and a seen, and mingled with it are many curious
profusion of flaxen hair; her face is finely illustrations of the wax-modeler's art -
modeled, her movable eyes are furnished casts of faces taken from life, and some also
with lashes, and her arms and legs look like taken after death; models of persons whom
casts from nature, while her clothing is of fame or notoriety has brought into promi-
fine material, and gives evidence of having nence; fancy models for displaying the
been made with as much care as if Dolly wares of the milliner or illustrating the
were a sister to the heir of the family. Be- styles of the hair-dresser, and so forth.
tween this aristocrat among dolls and the But our business was with the dollmakers,
humblest of the sisterhood there are many and we found them at work in a number of
degrees of rank, and widely different, too, rooms on the other floors of the building.
are the materials of which the interesting In the modeling and casting room we saw
effigies are constructed, how the heads and limbs of dolls are made.
Many of the cheaper dolls, especially At well-lighted benches round the sides of
those of wood, are made in Germany and this apartment a number of men and boys
other continental countries, and of the more were at work, while in boxes and on tables
expensive kinds Paris supplies a consider- and suspended from the roof were innumer-
able proportion; but there are in this coun- able heads and limbs of various sizes, some
try a number of factories which turn out formed of wax, some of paper mache, and
large quantities of dolls of the principal others of a combination of the two mate-
varieties, A doll factory is an interesting rials. Following the processes in succession,
place to visit, especially for little folk, for we saw how a model in clay was made to
there they can see how the material of begin with, how from that a cast was taken
which Dolly is composed are fashioned and in plaster-of-Paris, how this cast was used
put together. as a mold, into which the wax was poured,
If our readers will give us attention for and how the castings in wax were finished.
a brief space we shall tell them what is to We speak of wax, but as a matter of fact the
be seen in a doll-factory, as the result of a material is a mixture of spermaceti and
visit paid to one of the largest of these clarified wax.
establishments in New York. The wax, when melted, had the consist-
The factory occupies a building of six ency of cream, and immediately it was
floors. The street floor is devoted to the poured into a mold it commenced to solidify.
sale of dolls, and in its extensive range of The solidifying process began next the mold
windows are displayed samples of the dolls and extended towards the center. When a
made on the premises. The variety of layer of sufficient thickness had become
these is considerable, and it is not to solid, the workman seized the mold, and
be wondered at that the children of the turning it upside down poured out the still
neighborhood crowd before the windows liquid portion of the wax, and thus obtained
and gaze by the hour at the interesting col- a hollow copy of the mold. If you examine
election, the detached or broken head or limbs of a
Inside the shop, counters and stands are wax doll you will understand what is
crowded with dolls, some fully dressed and meant.
others whose outfit is left to be determined Heads and limbs cast in wax in this fash-
by the purchasers. There are young lady ion require gentle treatment when the dolls
dolls of large size, attired in morning, din- are being played with, because they are
ner or ball costumes; there are baby dolls, easily broken. As a precaution against ac-
most elaborately dressed in sewed muslin cidents, however, most dolls have a founda-
and lace; and there are character dolls, tion of paper mache beneath the wax. In
such as Mother Hubbard, Red Riding Hood, these cases the paper is softened by being

OUR BABIES. 69

soaked in starch, and is then pressed into a insertion was completed the ends were
mold. When dry the paper is hard and trimmed and the locks were curled with a
firm, and will stand a good deal of knocking tiny pair of curling-tongs. Dolly's eye-
about. To give the parts a presentable ap- lashes were inserted in the same manner as
pearance they are dipped in wax, and then the hair of the head.
assume the same appearance as if they were All that was now necessary to complete
wholly formed of that substance, the head was the painting of the lips and
Following the wax heads and limbs from the application of a little rouge to the
the caster's bench we saw how they were cheeks, and that having been done, the head,
scraped and trimmed to remove all marks limbs and body were brought together, the
of the joints of the molds, and give the latter having in the meantime been con-
surface an even and compact appearance. structed in a special department of the fac-
At this stage the heads presented a strange tory. A few stitches of stout thread were
aspect, and gave little promise of the beauty sufficient to unite the various parts, and
they would display after being subjected to Dolly lay before us ready to receive her
a few more operations. The smoothing clothing.
having been completed, the heads were As may be imagined, in these days when
passed to workmen who cut apertures for fashion is followed even in the garments of
the eyes, being guided by outlines produced dolls, the dress-making department of the
in the process of casting. The next thing factory is an important one. In it we found
was the insertion of the eyes. The latter young women cutting out and making up
are globes of glass with one side colored to diminutive clothing, sewing-machines of
represent the eyeball. Warming the eyes toy-like size being employed in the work.
slightly the workman pressed them into the A large order was just being completed,
sockets from the inside, care being taken to and this included an extensive array of
adjust them exactly, so as to avoid a squint, dolls dressed according to the quaint styles
Some wax was now poured over the out- of those artists who have distinguished
side of the eyes to fill up any interstices that themselves by illustrating children and their
might be left, and as soon as this cooled it ways.
was trimmed off. There is one variety of doll of which
Stepping into another room we saw how large numbers were being made at the fac-
Dolly is provided with hair. In the case of tory, namely, the rag doll. This article is
the cheaper dolls the process is a simple one. not remarkable for beauty, but it is, never-
An opening is made in the head from back theless, highly appreciated by the children
to front, and into this the ends of two tufts of the working classes, for whom it is de-
of hair are pushed and fixed with paste. signed. The body, limbs and head of a
The insertion of hair into the wax so as to rag doll are all in one piece, and are com-
imitate a natural growth is a process that posed of sawdust inclosed in a casing of
occupies a good deal of time, and is only calico. The face consists of a mask of wax,
resorted to in the case of the more ex- and is covered with a layer of fine muslin,
pensive class of dolls. This part of the work which being pressed into the wax is scarcely
was done by young women. Taking a head observable. The object of thus covering
and placing it on her knee the operator the face is to strengthen it against rough
rested the palm of her right hand upon it. usage. The face is glued upon the sawdust
A small bundle of the hair to be inserted head, and when this has been done the doll
was taken between the finger and thumb of is ready for dressing. At this stage she is
the left hand, while between the finger and far from attractive in her appearance. In
thumb of the right hand a stipplee," a steel the hands of the dressers, however, she is
tool resembling a flattened bodkin, was held. made to look quite smart, and as her clothes
Bringing the ends of hair close to the head are permanently fixed on she will not again
the operator caught a few of these at a time be seen at such disadvantage.
with the point of the stipple and forced them A peep into the store rooms, in which
into the wax. The hair was inserted in many thousands of dolls were done up in
rows from the nape of the neck upwards, paper, classified and numbered, and packed
and as each row was completed the wax was away in racks ready to meet any order
pressed closely down on the inserted ends brought our visit to a close.
to cause them to hold firmly. When the -Mary Treat.

70 OUR BABIES.

'N

SWINGING ON A BIRCH TREE.
S WINGING on a birch tree Up and down we see-saw;
To a sleepy tune, Down into the grass,
Hummed by all the breezes Scented fern and rose-buds,
In the month of June! All a woven mass.
Little leaves a-flutter That's the sort of carpet
Sound like dancing drops Fitted for our feet;
Of a brook on pebbles- Tapestry nor velvet
Song that never stops. Is so rich and neat.

OUR BABIES. 71

SAVED FROM THE WRECK.

72 OUR BABIES.

BLOOMING ON THE OTHER SIDE. I was creeping through the lanes of grim
EVEN for the dead I will not bind and squalid poverty; there I peeped into the
My soul to grief, death cannot long divide; doors of habitations, scarcely worthy of that
For is it not as if the rose that climbed name for men. I was pondering upon the
My garden wall, had bloomed the other side? great question, how shall mankind be worthy
of that name, and the misery of poverty be
THE MOONBEAM. a thing of the past; there the night seemed
filled with a dreary sadness. You, O poet,
4WTHERE have you traveled, oh, who sing in pity for the weak, raise your
S wonder who floods my chamber voice now for the great, lest they fall be-
with so beautiful a light?" asked the poet, neath the pale of sheer humanity, by your
of a stray moonbeam creeping in through golden of favor words, for dreams of a fut-
the palace casement. ure; let no palace rear its haughty and piti-
I have visited lands of which you only less head, lest a million souls have a roof
dream," whispered the light, "far-off coun- and clothes; let in your dreams no feast be
tries where the origin of my light is wor- spread while hunger yawns at a hovel door;
shiped as a god. I have crept down the beware, I say, lest man, in all the glitter of
winding stretch of hill, I have gazed upon his wealth, fall beneath his name. The
those silent monuments of ancient lore, that, question of the world is great, 'tis growing
though they speak not, seem to mock our greater; year by year, day by day it hangs.
deeds with a grim scorn. I have crossed like a pall above the heads of nations;.
the still desert where the voice of man was thrones tremble with a breath of pity; but
not heard, and where alone in the crystal let them shake, and in their falling thunder
clearness of the night the stars and moon with a world-wide charity; the age of mon-
reign in silent grandeur. I have wandered archs should long since have passed; the
over the silent plains of the north where jewel that crowns their brow is needed now
the hero kings died in their glory, and then for bread."
listening to the ceaseless voice of the north The poet in his slumber trembled, his
ocean, I have gazed upon scenes of terror breath grew quick and hurried, while a tear
and wonder. Few know, or have felt the rolled down his cheek.
beauty of that polar world; it is like a scene "Weep," sighed the moonbeam, and it
of grandeur fallen from some star, and in seemed as if its voice was filled with scorn,
falling it has frozen. I have gazed upon weep, so do all tender hearts weep tears,
the snow-shining mountains, I have flooded but they need them not, the ocean is full.
their star crowned brows with a holy peace, At last I came to a chamber where a maiden
while out from the silence and the glory of lay sweet in her slumber, her couch was
the leaping cataract, I have heard a voice white with fresh and dainty linen, and her
rise through the stillness, Beware, lest you chamber bespoke a neat and careful comfort,
come too near, lest one is here who cannot she was fair, beautiful as the star that glides.
bear your beauty and live the life assigned over the valley, golden her hair, and blue I
to him, and now, O poet, whom I have al- knew those eyes I could not see to be, but
ways loved so well, let me once kiss your from within, glances of envy glared upon
brow;" and it touched the marble-like brow her, glared in wild despair at the picture of
of the poet, and as it did so he smiled in a poet hanging above her bed, they did not
his sleep, while the myrtle that hung above understand why one by the wealthy should
his couch rustled softly in the breeze, be singled out from amongst them, while
"Yes, kiss my brow," he whispered in his they were left to die in misery. I crept
dream, "kiss it, fair moonbeam, until it into the chamber and as I did so, a man,
shall be crowned by cypress in a wakeless dagger in hand, entered at the door.
sleep, and it is laid low from the living; fill The maiden sighed in her innocent slum-
it with dreams of beauty that I may sing for ber as I gazed upon her, but the envious
my king, and fill the palace with the echoes glance of poverty caused her to weep, the
of my soul." blow of the dagger fell and the soul of the
"Slumber on, slumber on, noble poet," maiden passed away forever from its earthly
whispered the moonbeam, creeping farther prison. The poet sprang from his bed,
and farther on over the couch, "and I will The maiden," he cried, was my love."
tell you a tale of what did chance this night. -Miss Skufeldt.

OUR BABIES. 73

MAN'S WANTS. zled to know how to get over to the other
1/ AN wants but little here below, side.
V. Nor wants that little long." Then the straw took courage, and said, I
'Tis not with me exactly so, will lay myself across the stream, so that
But 'tis so in the song.
My wants are many, and if told, you can step over me, as if I were a bridge."
Would muster many a score ; So the straw stretched himself from one
And were each wish a mint of gold, shore to the other, and the coal, who from
I still should long for more. his nature is rather hot-headed, tripped out
-._ Q. Adams. quite boldly on the newly-built bridge. But
when he reached the middle of the stream,
THE STRAW, THE COAL, AND THE and heard the water rushing under him, he
BEAN. was so alarmed that he stood still, and
N a village there lived an old woman, dared not move a step farther. Sad were
who one day gathered some beans from the consequences ; for the straw, being
her garden to cook for her dinner. She had slightly scorched in the middle by the heat
a good fire on the hearth; but to make it still in the coal, broke in pieces from its
burn more quickly, she threw on a hand- weight, and fell into the brook. The coal
ful of straw. As she threw the beans into with a hiss, slid after him into the water,
the pot to boil, one of them fell on the floor and gave up the ghost.
unobserved by the old woman, and not far The bean, who had cautiously remained
from a wisp of straw which was lying near. behind on the shore, could not contain her-
Suddenly a glowing coal bounced out of self when she saw what had happened, and
the fire, and fell close to them. They both laughed so heartily that she burst. Now
started away and exclaimed, Dear friend, would she have been in a worse plight than
don't come near me till you are cooler, her comrades; but, as good luck would
Whatever brings you out here ? have it, a tailor who was out on his travels,
Oh," replied the coal, "the heat luckily came to rest by the brook, and noticed the
made me so strong, that I was able to bean. He was a kind-hearted man, so he
bounce from the fire. Had I not done so, my took a needle and thread out of his pocket,
death would have been certain, and I should and taking up the bean, sewed her together.
have been burnt to ashes by this time." She thanked him very much, but unfortu-
Then," said the bean, I have also es- nately he had only black thread to sew with,
caped with a whole skin; for had the old and in consequence, since that time all
woman put me in the pot with my com- beans have a black mark down their backs.
rades, I should, without mercy, have been
boiled to broth."
"I might have shared the same fate," NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL.
said the straw, "for all my brothers were NTATURAL things and spiritual;
pushed into the fire and smoke by the old n Who separates those two
In art, in morals, or the social drift,
woman. She packed sixty of us in a Tears up the bond of nature, and brings death,
bundle, and brought us in here to take Paints futile pictures, writes unreal verse,
away our lives, but luckily I contrived to Leads vulgar days, deals ignorantly with men,
slip through her fingers." Is wrong, in short, at all points.
"Well, now, what shall we do with our- -E. B. Browning.
selves ? said the coal.
"I think," answered the bean, "as we HAPPY WORK.
have been so fortunate as to escape death, HE law of labor is divine, and cheer-
we may as well be companions, and travel ful obedience to it is one of the great
away together to some more friendly coun- secrets of happiness. In the old time, the
try, for here we may expect nothing but ground was cursed for man's sake, and he
new misfortunes." was told that in the sweat of his brow he
This proposal was gladly accepted by the should get his bread. But in the bosom of
two others ; so they started immediately on the curse there was a blessing, and age after
their journey together. After traveling a age has gone to prove that for mind and
little distance, they came to a stream, over body, for heart and home, there is nothing
which there was no bridge of any sort- better for a man, than that his hands shall
not even one of wood-so they were puz- be filled with happy work.-Elmo.

41

74 OUR BABIES.
---- =^^=-- *=

HANS AND HIS BIRDS.
HANS was a shoemaker and was very fond of birds. He had two blackbirds and a parrot; he taught the
parrot to say, Gretchen is a lovely girl." And whenever Gretchen looked in to wish Hans good-morn-
ing, the parrot would be sure to hop on Hans' shoulder and cry, "Gretchen is a lovely girl." By and by
Hans and Gretchen were married, and the parrot was always a household pet.

OUR BABIES. 75

I I

T HE dogs of St. Bernard may well be called The Ministers of the Mountains." They are strong and
sagacious. They have wonderful power of scent. They go forth with a little barrel of brandy around
their necks and sometimes with clothing strapped round their bodies. Many a poor wanderer would have per-
ished in the snow but for their timely aid.
..'.a :

SHE ALWAYS MADE HOME HAPPY. at last, in spite of a great deal of coaxing, he
N an old churchyard stood a stone, seemed inclined to scratch or bite everybody
Weather-marked and stained; who touched him-even the gentle mistress
The hand of Time had crumbled it; who was so anxious to tame him.
So only part remained. trace, As my friend lives in the country, the cat
Upon one side I could just trace,
In memory of our mother! was constantly in the woods hunting, and
An epitaph which spoke of "home" would sometimes remain out of the house for
Was chiseled on the other, twenty-four hours at a time. One day, when
I'd gazed on monuments of fame Mr. Puss had been absent for some time,
High towering to the skies; the cat's mistress was in her garden cutting
I'd seen the sculptured marble stone roses, and having filled her basket, she wan-
Where a great hero lies; dered out of the garden into the wood, and
But by this epitaph I paused, sat down to rest on a bench under a large
And read it o'er and o'er,
For I had.never seen inscribed tree. Presently she heard a faint cry like
Such words as these before, a half-stifled cat's meow. She got up.
"She always made home happy!" What and called Puss, puss! then the cry was
A noble record left; repeated louder, so, leaving her basket on
A legacy of memory sweet the bench, she walked quickly towards the
To those she left bereft; place from whence the cry seemed to come.
And what a testimony given As she hastened on she heard the meow re-
By those who knew her bestone pleated louder and louder, though evidently
Engraven on this plain, rude stone
That marked their mother's rest. with great effort, and as if. the cat was in
pain, but, hearing footsteps, was determined,
It was a humble resting place, if possible, to attract the notice of whoever
I know that they were poor,
But they had seen their mother sink it might be. The cry was so plaintive that
And patiently endure; my friend felt sure the cat was very much
They had marked her cheerful spirit, hurt; she therefore looked anxiously about,
When bearing, one by one, in order to help it as soon as possible. At
Her many burdes up the hill, first she could see nothing, though the
Till all her work was done.
sounds of woe were now uttered quite close
So when was stilled her weary head, to her
Folded her hands so white, At lngth she discovered some tabby
And she was carried from the home
She'd always made so bright, hair appearing above the long grass, and
Her children raised a monument stooping, she found that the poor cat had
That money could not buy, been caught in a snare, a trap set for rabbits..
As witness of a noble life The cruel wire was round his shoulder, and
Whose record is on high. held him down in a most painful position
A noble life; but written not close to the ground. The poor thing's head
In any book of fame: was pressed down so tightly that it could
Among the list of noted ones not be seen above the grass.
None ever saw her name;
For only her own household knew You may be sure that the cat's mistress
The victories she had won- was not long in setting to work to set him
And none but they could testify free; but it took some time, for the wire
How well her work was done. pressed quite into the cat's flesh, and my
friend had to find it through the long thick
GRATITUDE OF A PERSIAN CAT. hair, and then cut it with her garden nippers,
which she fortunately had in her hand. The
I THINK, my young friends, you would poor cat cried now and then, but never at-
like to hear an account of a Persian tempted to scratch or bite, though his mis-
cat belonging to a very dear friend of tress knew that she must for the time
mine. This lady had a lovely Persian cat, be increasing his torture. Presently, how-
or kitten, rather, given to her, and the little ever, the suffering animal was free, and then
creature, though most playful as well as he lay exhausted on the grass. However,
beautiful, was singularly wild, and showed my friend soon carried him home, and gave
no affection for any one. As the kitten him milk to revive him. Since that day of
fast grew into a fine large cat with feathered torture Puss has become a tame cat, gentle
*ears and bushy tail, he grew also wilder, and now to all, but perfectly devoted to his mis-

OUR BABIES. 77

tress. If he hears her voice at ever so great he is free, and if he is fortunate enough to
a distance, Puss runs to her purring, and, live, he has expiated his crime. But few
rubbing himself against her dress, seems as are able to run the gauntlet, and they ex-
if he could not show her plainly enough pire before reaching the cooling water,
how much he loves her and thanks her for clubbed to death by the fetishmen-Banh-
her kindness to him. gbwe-no, or snake-mothers, as they are called.
I have seen the cat twice, once before and As the door of the snake-temple is always
once since he was caught in the snare, and open, the snakes frequently wander out
the difference of his behavior on these two after nightfall. If any person meets one
occasions was extraordinary. The first time he must prostrate himself before it, carry-
he was so wild, and even savage, to us all, ing it tenderly in his arms to the temple,
and the second time so gentle, and espe- when his humanity to the snake-god is re-
cially loving to his mistress, warded by his being fined for meeting the
snake; and if he cannot or will not pay, he
is imprisoned until the uttermost cowrie is
THE SNAKE-GOD OF DAHOMEY. extracted from him.
HE most powerful fetish is Banhgbwe,
the tutelary saint of Whydah, and
which is personified by the harmless snake THE MOUNTAINS OF LIFE.
so named. Its worship was introduced into T HERE'S a land far away, 'mid the stars, we are
Dahomey when the kingdom of Whydah 1 told,
was conquered and annexed. In Whydah, Where they know not the sorrows of time-
hidden from eyes profane by a thick grove Where the pure waters wander through valleys of
gold,
of fig trees, is the famed Danh-hweh, or And life is a treasure sublime-
fetish snake-house. It is, according to Mr. 'Tis the land of our God, 'tis the home of the soul,
Skertchly, nothing more than a circular Where the ages of splendor eternally roll;
swish hut- the very model of the Parian Where the way-weary traveler reaches his goal,
,On the evergreen Mountains of Life.
inkstand to be seen in every toy shop. From On the evergreen Mountains of Life.
the room depended pieces of cotton yarn, Our gaze cannot soar to that beautiful land,
and on the floor, which, in common with But our visions have told of its bliss,
the walls, was whitewashed, were severall And our souls by the gale of its gardens are fanned,
pots of water. The pythons, to the number When we faint in the desert of this;
And we sometimes have longed for its holy repose,
of twenty-two, were coiled on top of the When our spirits were torn with temptations and
wall or twined around the rafters. All woes,
those hideous reptiles are sacred. To slay And we've drank from the tide of the river that flows
one, even by accident-for to do so pur- From the evergreen Mountains of Life.
posely would not be dreamt of- used to Oh, the stars never tread the blue heavens at night,
entail instant sacrifice to the gods and con- But we think where the ransomed have trod;
fiscation of the offender's property to the And the day never smiles from his palace of light
fetish priests. Nowadays his punishment But we fee! the bright smile of our God!
is not so severe, but is still exemplary We are traveling homeward through changes and
gloom,
enough. The offender, after a meeting of To a kingdom where pleasures unceasingly bloom,
Small the fetishers in the neighborhood is con- And our guide is the glory that shines through the
vened, is seated within a hut of sticks, tomb,
thatched with dry grass, and built in the From the evergreen Mountains of Life.
enclosure in front of the snake-house. His
clothes and body are well daubed with palm BE YOURSELF.
oil, mixed with the fat of the murdered
snake-god. At a given signal the hut is ON'T let us be afraid of enthusiasm.
fired, and the materials being like tinder, _JThere is more lack of heart than of
the unfortunate offender against the majesty brain. The world is not starving for need
of the fetish is enveloped in flames. In ex- ofleducation half as much as for warm,
cruciating torture he rushes out of the earnest interest of soul for soul. We agree
flames-his clothes on fire-to the nearest with the Indian, who, when talked to about
water, pursued by the infuriated priests, having too much zeal, said, "I'think it is
who belabor him with sticks, stones, and all better for the pot to boil over than not to
sorts of rubbish. If he reaches the water boil at all."

78 OUR BABIES.

COCOA-NUT TOWN IN MONKEY LAND.

I '

I
;; ~ --------

SHELTERED AND GUARDED,

80 OUR BABIES.

LIFE IS JOY. "And then he would see that I had been a
LIFE is joy, and love is power, true friend ?"
Death all fetters doth unbind: "Yes."
Strength and wisdom only flower "Well, now," said old Jacob, looking at
When we toil for all our kind. me intently, "have you got any holes that
Hope is truth-the future giveth want stopping? I've got the fire ready to
And the soul forever liveth make my tool hot, and as I have finished the
Nearer God from day to day. saucepan, I can begin on you if you need
-James Russell Lowell. any tinkering."
I caught his meaning. "No," I said; "I
JACOB SCROGGS, THE TINKER. have no doubt I want a good deal of tinker-
ing, but you can't do it. You've got the fire,
O LD Jacob Scroggs was a well-known and the solder, and you are clever, but you
character in the village where I lived can't mend me."
when a boy. I fancy I now see him seated "You are right, young gentleman," he
on a stool at a cottage gate, tinkering away replied; "but there is a Fire, and a Solder,
at an old saucepan, with such a grave cast and a Hand that can do it."
of countenance that you might have thought I knew what he meant, and it set me
it was a very solemn business on which he thinking more seriously than usual, as I
was engaged. went homewards. So seriously, indeed, that
But old Scroggs was anything but solemn, you see I now remember the conversation.
Full of dry humor, and shrewd observation,
he often said strange things which made us
all laugh, though not a muscle of his face SAND AND JEWELS.
relaxed. There was always an admiring TITTLE love can perform great actions,
group of children near him, and, if I saw L_, but it requires great love to present,
him at work on my way home from school, like* little children, small offerings, and to
I listened as eagerly as any one. devote every moment and task of our life
One day he said, as he gave a tap to the to God. A largeness of heart which thus
saucepan that he was repairing, Now, old attends to the smallest details of piety, to
fellow, I hope you feel grateful to me." the little things in which love most power-
"Oh, Mr. Scroggs!" I exclaimed, "the fully shows itself, which recognizes God
saucepan cannot feel." habitually and seeks constant opportunity
"Isn't that quite news to me?" he said, to please Him, will never be oppressed with
drily; and then added, "but suppose it could listlessness and ennui. Every hour will be
feel, would it be grateful for what I have filled with incident; every object will pos-
done to it?" sess a secret charm, and life will be a con-
"Well, it ought to be," I replied, hesita- tinual feast. A heap of sand becomes a
tingly; you have stopped up his hole nicely heap of jewels.-Hugh Macmillan.
and made him useful again; but perhaps he
would not admire your hard knocks, and
the burning solder, and your red-hot iron; APRIL'S THIRTY DAYS.
it would seem to him very cruel treatment. IT is enough for God if he limit Aprif to
"What nonsense you do talk?" said Mrs. thirty days; He does not want it on the
Moore, as she stood looking on, with her thirty-first day; it ceases and goes back
baby in her arms; "he and him, as if my old into His great heaven, and May begins.
saucepan was a human being." He does not bring back eighteen seventy
"We are only supposing," said the old into eighteen seventy-one, and say, "There,
man, mildly; "then you think," turning to I have brushed it up for you, and made the
me as he spoke, "that my kindness might best of it I can; you must try it again."
not be properly appreciated ?" No. He takes the years; blows them away;
"He perhaps would not think you meant creates new ones; never gives you an old
it as kindness," was my reply. leaf, or tells you to put a faded flower into
"When would he find out that it was?" water and try to get up its colors and fra-
"Oh," I answered, "when he found that grance again. "He is able to do exceeding
he was made useful again, and that things abundantly above all that we ask or think."
4id not run out at any hole." -Joseph Parker.

OUR BABIES. 81

RHYME OF THE RAIL. Market woman, careful
Of the precious casket,
INGING through the forests, Knowg es are egs,
S Rattling over ridges, Tightly holds her basket,
Shooting under arches, Feeling that a smash,
Rumbling over bridges,itme would surely
Whizzing through the mountains; If it came, would surely
Buzzing o'er the vale, RatSend her preggs to poturely!
Bless me! this is pleasant, Rather prematurely!
Riding on the rail! Singing through the forests,
Men of different stations, Rattling over ridges,
In the eye of Fame, Shooting 'under arches,
Here are very quickly Rumbling over bridges,
Coming to the same; Whizzing through the mountains,
High and lowly people, Buzzing o'er the vale,
Birds of every feather, Bless me! this is pleasant,
On a common level, Riding on the rail!
Traveling together!
Gentlemen in shorts, CONSISTENCY.
Looming very tall; FOOLISH consistency is the hobgoblin
Gentlemen at large,
Talking very small; A. of little minds, adored by little states-
Gentlemen in tights, men and philosophers and divines. With
With a loose-ish mien; consistency a great soul has simply noth-
Gentlemen in gray, ing to do. Speak what you think now in
cooking rthe een hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-
Gentlemen quite old, morrow thinks in hard words again, though
Asking for the news; it contradict everything you said to-day.
In a fit of blues; "Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunder-
Gentlemen in claret, stood." Is it to bad, then, to be misunder-
Sober as a vicar; stood ? Pythagoras was misunderstood,
Gentlemen in tweed, and Socrates, and Luther, and Copernicus,
and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure
Stranger on the right, and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be
Looking very sunny, great is to be misunderstood.--R. W. Emer-
Obviously reading
Something rather funny. SOn.
Now the smiles are thicker,
Wonder what they mean? INTELLECTUAL ADVANCE.
Faith, he's got the Knicker-
Bocker Magazine! UR intellectual advance is far more
Stranger on the left, 0_ rapid than our moral advance, and
Closing up his peepers, we have thus found more evils than we can
Now he snores amain, abate, can perceive more sorrows than we
Like the seven sleepers; are willing to cure. The development of
At his feet a volume the modern man and woman is intellectual
Gives the explanation,
How the man grew stupid more than spiritual, and this throws our
From association!" age out of balance, or, as some express it,
Ancient maiden lady we have "times out of joint." When a
Anxiously remarks carpenter finds his timber too short for the
That there must be peril intended reach, or too narrow, when a har-
'Mong so many sparks; mony of timbers or beams or boards is
Roguish-looking fellow, impossible, all fail because being "out of
SaTurning to the stranger joint." Thus our era is crippled by this
Says 'tis his opinion
She is out of danger! inequality of material. The virtue of the
Woman with her baby age is too small for the brains of the age,
Sitting vis-a-vis; and, as a result, we are all gathering up
Baby keeps a-squalling, facts and forces more rapidly than we are
Woman looks at me; gathering happiness or goodness, and might
Asks about the distance; easily become, as was rhetorically said of
Says, tis tiresome talking,
Noises of the car Bacon, "greatest, wisest, and meanest" of
Are so very shocking! ages.-David Swing.

82 OUR BABIES.

KITTY'S BIRTHDAY PRESENT.
WELL, there was a birthday present' A little live kitty for Kitty. Kitty was six years old that very
morning, and Uncle Will sent her a live kitten in a hamper and said that he thought Kitty's kitty
ought to be called Topsy, because it was so black.

OUR BABIES. 83

UP TO PAPA'S SHOULDER.
U P and up the baby goes, Up and up the baby goes,
Up to papa's shoulder, Taller, wiser, older;
Now she clings to papa's nose- As the calyx holds the rose,
Now, becoming bolder, Childish years enfold her;
How she flings her arms and crows! By and by they shall enclose
Do you think the darling knows From the woman and the rose;
How strong the arms that hold her? Then, 0 Father, hold her!

84, OUR BABIES.

BOYS WANTED. And with all these good resolutions in
OYS of spirit, boys of will, her mind, but without one of those little
Boys of muscle, brain and power, quick, thinking prayers to God to help her
Fit to cope with anything- keep them, Mary entered her home and
These are wanted every hour. passed into an inner room, where lay her
Not the weak and whining drones, mother, whose pale face lighted up with
That all trouble magnify; pleasure at the sight of her little daughter.
Not the watchword of I can't," "Well, Pollie," she said, you will be able
But the nobler one, I'll try." to go to the woods, I think, for Mrs. Porter
Do whatever you have to do has been in, and she has promised to come
With a true and earnest zeal; back and sit with me till four o'clock."
Bend your sinews to the taskel. "Till four o'clock, mother? Oh, that is
no use, for we should not certainly be home
Though your duty may be hard, before five, and perhaps not till six. Can't
Look not on it as an ill; Mrs. Porter stay longer"
If it be an honest task, M s ln
Do it with an honest will. No, dear; she said she must go at four;
but I shall do very well alone after that, till
At the anvil or the farm, you come; we shall have tea together before
Wheresoever you may be- y o e h a t
From your future efforts, boys, she goes, and then I shall want nothing
Comes a nation's destiny, more for a long time."
But Mary's mind was still full of good
DON'T F ET. intentions, though she could not help look-
ing a little sorry.
T was a Saturday afternoon in May. The "Oh, no, mother," she said, never mind,
long, hard winter had gone at last, the I won't go; you can't be alone all that
early spring flowers and young green leaves time."
no longer shivered in the cold east winds, Yes, indeed, dear," replied her mother,
for the warm showers had washed their "I will have you go; it will do me good,
bright faces, and the cheering sunbeams too, to see you return with roses on your
had kissed them into gaiety, and brought dear little pale cheeks. See, then, this is
them more companions to help them in what you shall do: Sit right down and eat
their work of making the earth gay and your dinner, and then you will have time to
beautiful. go round by the mills and ask father to
Little Mary Herbert stood at the door of come home by four o'clock; he meant to
her father's cottage on the outskirts of a work overtime for a few hours to-day, but
northern manufacturing town, looking, with he won't mind coming home then if he
a happy light in her blue eyes, away to- knows I want him; but don't forget, child,
ward the country where she knew the birds mind you don't forget to go to him."
were singing hymns of thankfulness for the "Oh, no, mother, I won't forget; I don't
bright warm weather which had come at mean to forget things so much in future."
last. As the child gazed, it was easy to see And Pdllie, remembering her dinner, which
that many thoughts were passing through was waiting for her in the next room, ran
her mind; had she uttered them aloud, they off to eat it.
would have probably been something like In a little while, having kissed her mother
this: "How good God is to make such a and little brother, the child left the cottage
beautiful worl
always like this, and we could always be with her daughter Alice, came up.
good! I will try to be good; I will try to "Well, Pollie, child," she said, "it seems
be more obedient, and not have to tell I am just in time. Now run off with Alice,
mother so often, 'I forgot.' Dear mother, and find your companions; and don't worry
who lies sick indoors, and sweet little baby about your mother, for I shall stay with her
brother, too! Oh, I will be so good to them until four o'clock, and then she says she
both, and so useful at home; and, yes, I will do very well; so run off, both of you,
must be very industrious at school, too, and and have a good time in the woods."
get to the top of the class, and father will The two started off, and, not having met
be so proud of me, and everyone will say since the day before, they both had so much
how good I am! to tell and so much to hear, that the turn-

OUR BABIES. 85

ing, which led to the mills, was passed quite when the young tortoise plodder in the big
unheeded, and in a short time they met octavo closed its covers together with an
their companions, and soon found them- emphatic slap, and an announcement of
selves in the beautiful green woods. "the end." All the rest of us had wished
Oh, how lovely it was! How sweetly the to master the book, but hadn't had the
birds were singing, and what bright sun- time; he, by reading a little three times a
beams came streaming down through the day, had transferred its entire contents to
trees, and trembled softly in golden patches his head.
on the grass-the soft, mossy grass, with its
numberless wild flowers of many colors, the DEEDS OF KINDNESS.
earth's new spring robe of green velvet, UPPOSE the little cowslip
studded with rare jewels! Happy children! Should hang its golden cup,
whose voices mingled gaily with the glad And say, I'm such a tiny flower,
songs of the birds; play on, now, for child- I'd better not grow up."
hood cannot last forever; and winter snows How many a weary traveler
Would miss its fragrant smell!
and bleak winds will come again, the birds How many a little child would grieve
will fall numbed and dying to the earth, To lose it from the dell!
and sink to rest forever on her white
breast. Suppose the glistening dew-drops
It was nearly six o'clock when, tired and Upon the grass should say,
"What can a little dew-drop do?
happy, with garlands found their hats and I'd better roll away."
their hands full of flowers, the children left The blade on which it rested,
the woods. Before the day was done,
(Continued on page 90.) Without a drop to moisten it,
Would wither in the sun.

A LITTLE EVERY DAY. Suppose the little breezes,
Upon a summer's day,
A FEW of us students had obtained per- Should think themselves too small to cool
mission to take our meals daily with The traveler on his way.
S. Who would not miss the smallest
a private family in the town. We waited And softest ones that blow,
for every meal from five to ten minutes; And think they made a great mistake
a fragment of time which we usually ex- If they were talking so?
pended in chatting, joking, and skylarking. H
A large scientific work, in royal octavo, lay HoA lianydeeds kindness
on the table-probably the only book Although it has so little strength,
treasure of the house. Several of us ex- And little wisdom too!
pressed a desire to read it, but regretted It wants a loving spirit
the lack of time and opportunity. One of Much more than strength to prove
How many things a child may do
our number, however-a silent, studious For others by its love.
sort of chap-quietly took up the volume,
nibbled at the title-page, glanced over the
table of contents, and attacked the preface. DURATION OF HUMAN LIFE.
In a moment more he was called to the
table, and after eating, was out with the T HE average term of existence is thir-
rest of us. At the next meal, he resumed ty-four years; twenty-five per cent
his reading where he had left off ; and so (one fourth) die before attaining the age of
on from time to time, until the continuity eight, and fifty per cent (one half) die be-
and steady purpose of his occupation at- fore the age of eighteen. To every thou-
tracted attention and exposed him to many sand persons, one only attains the age of
a volley of chaffing from his companions, one hundred years. To every one hundred,
He only smiled, and went on with his read- only one lives seventy-five years, and not
ing, while we went on with our usual chit- more than one in four hundred attains eighty
chat, until at last we forgot to notice him at years. The married live longer than the
all. single. Temperate and industrious habits
The winter passed away; the spring ap- conduce to longevity. From their more
preached; and the last dinner-bell of the regular and sober customs, females are
term had just left its final clatter in the air, longer lived than males.

86 OUR BABIES.

r:,
i' iI n 'iI

I&
.i ., ,.

THE MEEK LITTLE PURITAN MAIDEN.

D EAR little Rebecca Kingston, all who knew her loved her. She was older than her years. The dearest,
kindest little Puritan maiden you ever saw. Between her knitting and her book she was perfectly
happy. She has nearly knitted a pair of mittens for her pa, and is now learning a piece of poetry to repeat at
the merry-making on Christmas Eve.
-- -i ;- :- -----

TO THE SQUIRREL.
ITTLE squirrel, crack your nuts; Hear you not their merry shouts,
Chirp your busy tune; Song, and happy laughter?
Sound your merry rut-a-tuts- Sure, as leaping boys are out!
Boys are coming soon! Girls are coming after.
Hide to-day, and pile to-day, Hide and pile, then, while you may,
Hoard a goodly store; Hoard a goodly store;
When the boys are gone away If the children come this way,
You may find no more. You may find no more.
Hoar a oody stre;Hoad a oody sore
Whe th bys re on awy f te cilrencom tis aw

88 OUR BABIES.

THE BEST MEDICINE. ter go home; your place is with your moth-
TAKE the open air, er, who is probably frightened and lonely;
The more you take the better, you can do no good here now, and you will
Follow nature's laws, soon have news of your father." Weeping
To the very letter, still, she prepared to obey the still, small
Let the doctors go, voice of conscience, when two men stopped
To the Bay of Biscay, beside her, and one said to her in tender
Let alone the gin, tones, Why dost weep, my little lass? See,
The brandy and the whisky. thy father is safe! With a startled look
Freely exercise, of wonder and delight, Pollie sprang to her
Keep your spirits cheerful, feet and beheld her father leaning upon the
Lek dread ofu everkne arm of a comrade, safe, indeed, but with a
bandage round his head and one arm in a
Eat the simplest food, sling. He sat down and took his little
Drink the pure cold water; daughter on his knee. Thanks, Dick," he
Then you will be well,
Or, at least you ought to. said to his fellow workman; now hasten
on like a good fellow, and tell my wife I am
DON'T FORGET. safe, and my little lass will bring me home
Cont 8 ORto her soon."
(Continued from page 87.) And now, with her head on the shoulder
As they wended their way homewards of her dear, recovered father, Pollie sobbed
they started suddenly, and looked at each forth a confession of her sin; and he, feeling
other in alarm as they heard a loud rum- how much she had suffered, and that she
bling sound which they could not think was had had a lesson she would most likely
thunder, for there was not a cloud in the never forget, only tried to comfort her as
sky, and besides, it did not sound quite like he kissed her little pale face, and held her
that either. As they neared the town they small hands in his own uninjured one.
met groups of people with anxious faces "But, my little Poll," he said, when she
hurrying in the direction of the mill, and as was quieter and he stood up and prepared
they passed, a few words fell upon the chil- to lead her home, "there was something
dren's startled ears -"A boiler explosion; else I am sure you forgot; you forgot to
Mowbray's mill!" MAowbray's mill! The ask the Lord to help you to be good We
fatal words bore a terrible meaning to Pol- may try as much as we like, ourselves, but
lie. With a white face she cried aloud, we cannot do it alone, for without Him we
"Oh, father, father, I forgot!" And fear can do no good thing, though we can do all
and anxiety lending wings to her feet, she things through Christ who strengtheneth us
fled in the direction of the mill where her And if we do not trust to ourselves, but ask
father worked. She was soon there, but Him for help and strength, He is always
she could not get to the door, which was ready to hear our prayer; for He is faithful
surrounded by a frightened and excited that promised.' Don't forget that, my lass;
crowd. She heard fragments of conversa- never forget that! "
tion round her: "There were doctors Yes, it is easy to forget that we cannot do
there;" "four or five men had been killed, any good thing without God. But let us
and others much injured; they were going remember this: that when things are bright
to move some to the infirmary." A little and prosperous around us, even then tempta-
apart from the crowd the child sat down to tion may be nigh at hand-temptation to be
wait- to wait for she knew not what. She selfish and think too much of ourselves and
only felt that she would not leave the spot our pleasure, and to be "wise in our own
till she had heard or seen something of her c6nceit." And our hearts may be so taken
father. With her apron over her head she up that we seem to have no time to think of
sobbed in bitter distress; perhaps she would duty; and so we go on our way without even
never see her father again; perhaps he was thanking God, who has given us all these
one of the killed; and through her fault! good things, or asking him to keep us in
Oh, why had she not remembered her the right path. We are certain to fail if we
mother's words, Don't forget "? As she depend only on ourselves, but don't forget
thought of her mother she wept afresh, and that He himself has promised to help those
conscience-whispered to her, You had bet- who cry unto Him. Don't forget!

OUR BABIES. 89

And if for us the sun is not shining, no To give us sweet golden butter,
birds are singing, and no flowers blooming Rich milk and yellow cream,
And a great many more good presents
in our path, but trouble and adversity are Than Ben many could ev good preentsam.
round us on every side; oh, then let us re- h
member even more, that "He careth for What are the busy bees good for-
us," and that, "Like as a father pitieth his
children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear There is many a lesson my boy could learn
., > r From even a busy bee.
Him." Don't forget! For he works all day in the summer
And let us remember, also, that for all- Laying sweet treasures by
the happy and the unhappy alike-a time For the long cold days that are coming,
will come when earthly things can make no When roses and violets die.
difference to us, and there will be no help What is old Rover good for?
anywhere for us but in God. Let us fly, I am sure I cannot see.
then, to Him who is waiting with open To teach my Benny how patient
arms to receive us as the prodigal's father Even a brute can be;
welcomed him, rejoicing over him, and as To watch papa's house at midnight,
When the lamps are all out in the street,
little Mary's father took his repentant child So, Benny, take care of good Rover,
to his loving heart. And give him enough to eat.
Then, when death shall overtake us, we What is my mamma good for?
need fear nothing; but depending not at all The little rogue, laughing, said.
on ourselves, but entirely on "Him who Oh, Benny, my boy, I answered,
loved us, and gave Himself for us," we may As I pillowed his sunshiny head,
confide our souls to Him, even as a trusting Your mamma is good for nothing,
infant falls asleep in its mother's arms. If she cannot teach her child
Then don't let us forget to trust in Him, To follow the Infant Savior,
So loving, tender and mild.
and lean not at all on our own understand- So lovin
ing. Don't forget; oh, don't forget!
THE POWER OF CONSCIENCE.

DON'T TRY TO BE GREAT. HEN I was seven years old, says the
DONT TRY TO BE Rev. S. Kilpin, I was left in charge of
OU can never be great in any sphere the shop. A man passed, crying, Little
by trying to be great. You may se- lambs, all white and clean, at one penny
cure a situation or get a public office by each." In my eagerness to get one I lost
striving for it; but you can never gain real all self-command, and taking a penny from
power in the discharge of your duties in the drawer, I made the purchase. My
any place while you put honor as the first keen-eyed, wise mother inquired how I
thing to be desired. Unlessyou give your- came by the money. I evaded the ques-
self heartily to the work to be done in your tion with something like a lie; in God's
sphere you will not do that work well, and sight it was a lie, as I kept back the truth.
everybody who measures you fairly will The lamb was placed on the chimney-shelf,
know that fact. If, however, you do the and much admired. To me it was a source
best you can wherever you are you may find of inexpressible anguish. Continually there
yourself distinguished before you know it. sounded in my ears and heart, Thou shalt
not steal; thou shalt not lie." Guilt and
darkness overcame my mind, and in sore
BENNY'S QUESTIONS. agony of soul I went to a hay-loft-the
W HAT is the kitty good for? place is now perfectly in my recollection-
My little boy Benny said. and there prayed and pleaded, with groan-
To catch the mice in the pantry ings that could not be uttered, for mercy
When they nibble mamma's bread, and pardon. I entreated mercy for Jesus'
To sit on the rug in the sunshine sake. With joy and transport I left the
To play with her little toes;
And if kitty is good for anything else, loft, from a believing application of the
It is more than mamma knows, text, Thy sins, that are many, are all for-
What is the mooly cow good for, given thee. I went to my mother, told her
Mamma? I'd like to know. what I had done, sought her forgiveness,
To eat green grass in the pastures and burnt the lamb, while she wept over
Where the meadow lilies grow, her young penitent.

90 OUR BABIES.

THE ROBIN IN THE WINTER.
T HE north wind doth blow, He will fly to the barn,
And we shall have snow, And keep himself warm,
And what will the robin do then, And hide his head under his wing,
Poor thing ? Poor thing !

THE SPARROWS ON THE WINDOW. jar, and longing so much for a taste, that.
COME, give him, child, a bread crumb, at last he invented an excuse to get away
For all the hills are bare; from home.
No rustle in the cornfield, Mousey," he said, one day, I have had
No music in the air. an invitation, from one of my cousins, to
The flowers are all withered, be present at the christening of her little
The leaves are lying dead, son, who was born a few weeks ago; he is
And now the thriftless sparrow a beautiful kitten, she tells me, gray, with
Comes begging for his bread, black stripes, and my cousin wishes me to
Sm l s be godfather."
Hahe m rry ld uie suitore; "Oh, yes! go, by all means," replied the
He's nuts enough to last him mouse; "but when you are enjoying your-
Till summer comes once more. self think of me, and bring me a drop of
the sweet, red wine, if you can." Tomi
He knew the time was coming promised to do as she asked him, and went
Bt, idling through the summer, off as if he were going to see his cousin.
The sparrow now wants bread. But, after all, it was not true. Tom had no,
cousin, nor had he been asked to be god-
Child, feed him, he is hungry, father.
But take for thee this truth- No; he went right off to the church, and
The spring of life is childhood,
Its summer day is youth, slipped under the table, where the jar of
meat stood, and sat looking at it. He did
Lay up in spring and summer not look for long, however, for presently
A store from learning's page, he went close up and began licking and
For the autumn hou of manhood licking the fat on the top of the jar, till it
The winter time of age.
was nearly all gone. Then he took a walk
on the roofs of the houses in the town, and
THE CAT WHO MARRIED A MOUSE. at last stretched himself out in the sun, and
stroked his whiskers as often as he thought
NCE upon a time, a cat made acquaint- of the delicious feast he had had. As soon
ance with a mouse, and they were to- as the evening closed in, he returned home.
gether so much that a great love and friend- Oh! here you are again," said the mouse.
ship arose between them, for the mouse was Have you spent a pleasant day?"
a clever little thing. At last they agreed to "Yes, indeed," he replied. "Everything
marry and dwell together in the same house passed off very well."
and be very comfortable. "And what name did they give the young
One day during the summer, the cat said to kitten?" she asked.
his wife, My dear, we must take care to lay "Top-of," said Tom, quite coolly.
in a store for the winter, or we shall die with "Top-off!" cried the mouse; "that is a
hunger; you, little Mousey, cannot venture curious and uncommon name! Is it a
to go about anywhere for fear you should family name?"
be caught in a trap, but I had better go and "It is a very old name in our family,"
see about it." replied the cat; "and it is not worse than
This good advice was followed and in a Thieves, as your ancestors were called."
few days Tom came safely back with a large Poor little mousey made no reply, and
jar full of beautiful meat covered with fat, for awhile nothing more was said about
which he had found. They had a long talk Tom's cousins.
about a place in which to hide this treasure; But Tom could not forget the jar of meat
but at last Tom said,"I don't know a better in the church, and the thought of it made
place than the church, no one ever thinks him long so much, that he was obliged to
of robbing a church, so if we place the jar invent another tale of a christening. So he
under the altar and take care not to touch it, told the little mouse that a lady cat, his
then we shall have plenty to eat in winter." aunt, had invited him this time, and that
So the jar was carried to the church and the kitten was a great beauty, all black,
put in a place of safety, but it did not re- excepting a white ring around its neck, so
main there long. he could not refuse to be present.
Tom kept thinking of the contents of the "For one day, dear Mousey," he added,

OUR BABIES. 93

"'you will do me this kindness and keep "All-gone!" cried the mouse; "that is the
house at home alone?" most suspicious name yet; I can scarcely
The good little mouse willingly agreed, believe it; what does it mean?" Then she
and Tom ran off; but as soon as he had shook her head, rolled herself up, and went
reached the town, he jumped over the to sleep.
churchyard wall, and very quickly found After this Tom was not invited to any
his way to the place where the jar of meat more christenings; but, as the winter came
was concealed. This time he feasted so on, and in the night no provisions could be
greedily that when he had finished the jar found, the mouse thought of the careful
was more than half-empty. store they had laid up for the winter, and
"It tastes as nice as it smells," said the said to the cat, "Come, Tom, let us fetch
cat, after his joyful day's work was over, the jar of meat from the church; it will be
.and he had had a nice nap. But as sron as such a nice relish for us."
he returned home the mouse asked what "Ah, yes," he replied; "it will be a nice
name had been given to the kitten this relish to you, I dare say, when you stretch
time. out your fine little tongue to taste it! So
Tom was a little puzzled to know what he took himself out of the way, and Mousey
to say, but at last he said: "Ah! I remem- went to the church by herself. But what
ber now; they named it 'Half-gone.' was her vexation at finding the jar still
"Half-gone! Why, Tom, what a queer standing in the same place, but quite empty.
name! I never heard of it before in my Then she returned home, and found Tom
life, and I am sure it cannot be found in looking as if he did not care, although he
the 'Register.' was at first rather ashamed to face her.
The cat did not reply, and for a time all "I understand now," said the little mouse,
went on as usual till another longing fit quite gently; "I can see what has hap-
made him rub his whiskers, and think of opened; a fine friend you have been to me
the jar of meat. "Mousey," said he, one to deceive me in this manner. When you
day, "of all good things there are always told me you were going to stand godfather
three; do you know I have had a third to the three little kittens, you never visited
invitation to be godfather? and this time your relations at all; but, instead of that,
the little kitten is quite black, without a you went to the church three times, and
single white hair on its whole body; such ate up all the meat in the jar. I know,
a thing has not happened in our family now, what you meant by Top-of, Half-
for many years, so you will let me go, gone, -
won't you?" "Will you be quiet?" said the cat, in a
"Top-off, and Half-gone, are such curious rage; "if you say another word I will eat
names, Tom," replied the mouse, "that you!"
they are enough to make one suspicious." But the poor little mouse had got the
"Oh, nonsense!" replied the cat; "what other name on the tip of her tongue when
can you know about names, staying at Tom interrupted her, and she could not
home here all day long in your gray coat stop herself; out it came-"All-gone!"
.and soft fur, with nothing to do but catch Tom only wanted an excuse to eat up his
crickets? you can know very little of what poor little wife, so he sprang upon her the
men do in the world." moment she uttered the word, broke her
Poor little mousey was silent, and she back with his paw, and ate her up.
patiently remained at home during the You will see every day in this world,
absence of the greedy, deceitful cat, who among human beings, the strong oppress-
this time feasted himself secretly till he had ing the weak, and, if they complain, ill-
quite cleaned out the jar, and left it empty. using them for doing so.-Grimm.
"When all is gone, then one can rest,"
said he to himself, as he returned home at GOOD BOOKS.
night quite fat and sleek.
"Well, Tom," said the mouse, as soon as OOD books are to the young mind
'she saw him, "and what is the name of J what the warming sun and refreshing
this third child?" rain of spring are to the seeds which have
"I hope you will be pleased at last," he lain dormant during the frosts of winter.-
said; "it is named All-gone." Horace Mann.

94 OUR BABIES.

JUMBO BROKEN LOOSE.

OUR BABIES. 95

I I iiII

161
'HA AN_ CLAU -

WHAT SANTA CLAUS BROUGHT!
=_-.- .... _ ---- ---

WHAT SANTA CLAU BOUHT

96 OUR BABIES.

ONLY A BABY. nish fruit every month in the year. Oranges,
TO A LITTLE ONE JUST A WEEK OLD. pineapples, figs, bananas, and other tropical
fruits are grown in abundance. When the
NLY a baby, Baroness is absent, yachting in the channel,
Cep Thout an hair, or at her London house, orders by telegraph
Fuz here and there, are sent to Mentmore daily for the supplies
required. The vases in the fountain and Ital-
Only a baby, ian gardens cost each /.i,ooo. The statuary
Name you have none--
Barefooted and dimpled, is all of the most costly kind, executed by the
Sweet little one. first masters. The great hall, which is about
20x30 feet, is filled with vases and statuary.
TOneeh e at all; Its contents must represent a value of not
What are you here for, less than i1oo,ooo. It takes not less than
You little scold? three hours to pass through the rooms. The
BABY'S REPLY. finish is exquisite, and the furnishing of each
y a sumptuous. Some idea may be formed of
What should I be? the whole from the furniture of a single bed-
Lots o' big folks room, one of the many guest chambers,
Been little like me. costing 25,000 or 30,000. In the dining
An't dot any hair! or baronial hall are furnishings exceeding
'Es I have too; 200,000. Costly cabinets of the time of
S'pos'n I hadn't, Louis XIV., of ebony, inlaid with ivory or
Dess it tood gro'. gold, diamonds, rubies, and all sorts of pre-
Not any teeth- cious stones; walls hung with the costliest
Wouldn't have one; tapestries of the time of Louis XVI., or
Don't dit my dinner covered with the richest needle-embroidered
Gnawin' a bone. satin, may give some idea of the wealth lav-
What am I here for ? ished on this more than princely mansion.
'At's pretty mean; The costliest paintings adorn the walls, and
Who's dot a better right the most skillful and expensive workmanship
'Tever you've seen? is displayed on the ceilings. The idea of the
What am I dood for, Baron seems to have been to build and fur-
Did you say? nish a mansion such as no other person in
Eber so many tings, England, except, perhaps, the Duke of West-
Ebery day. minster, could expect to rival. The stud is
'Tourse I squall sometimes, said to contain more high-bred horses than
Sometimes I bawl; any other in the world. It embraces thirty-
Zay dassant spant me, five hunters and as many racers, none of
'Taus I'm so small, which are less in value than 500, while
Only a baby! many of them run up to thousands.
'Es, sir, 'at's so;
'N if you only could,
You'd be one, too. SORROW DIVINE.
'At's all I've to say; ORROW is divine. Sorrow is reigning
You're most too old; on all the thrones of the universe, and
Toes dittin' told. the crown of all crowns has been one of
thorns. There have been many books that
treat of the sympathy of sorrow, but only
THE ESTATE OF THE RICHEST MAN one that bids us glory in tribulation, and
IN THE WORLD. count it all joy when we fall into divers
afflictions that so we may be associated with
B ARON ROTHSCHILD'S house and that great fellowship of suffering of which
estate at Mentmore is said to be one of the incarnate Son of God is the head, and
the finest and most extensive in England. It through which He is carrying a redemptive
contains some 20,000 acres of the finest land conflict to a glorious victory over evil. If
in Buckinghamshire. It has garden, green- we suffer with Him we shall also reign with
houses and graperies so arranged as to fur- Him.-Harriet Beecher Stowe.